Member Reviews

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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Fun if frustrating because in a way it represents so much that is repressed [in all of us]. Also about sublimation. Venice.”

  muque and shylock tomes wrote this review Saturday, September 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “The Master provides many insights into the creative process. Henry James came alive as a real person--rather than an author I had read in my literature course. I'd like to read Portrait of a Lady again.”

  Deepa A wrote this review Friday, May 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Overall, I enjoyed this very much but it was also a bit of slog at times. I've read a number of Henry James' novels but I know almost nothing of his life. About a third of the way through, I read a review of the new (massive) William James biography, which seemed to match very well with what I was reading. I thought Toibin captured alot of the style of James, in terms of use of language and sentence style, but not so much the hidden undercurrents that I always feel I'm missing the greater import of in James. It made it more accessible but, perhaps, not as successful. Worth reading, though, esp. if you've been middling on James. I can't escape a bit of the feeling, though, at the end that I was just glad to cross it off the list than anything other feeling.”

  Amy M wrote this review Friday, April 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “This book is surprisingly readable. Why surprisingly?Well because, it has no real story. Its written in a unique way, with the main character remembering small incidents from his life, seemingly inconsequental things that happened. But its a very well written book, and i really enjoyed it. I would not recommend it to people who like the story better than the reading. ”

  tashi wrote this review Friday, March 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “Beautifully written. This is the story of how a true artist's mind works. ”

  Jessie R wrote this review Monday, November 12 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Henry James, a man who could not say yes to life, but whose characters show us how to live.”

  David S wrote this review Thursday, November 1 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “This is a highly fictionalized account of the life of novelist Henry James. I appreciated the tension the book provided regarding James' supposed sexual identity struggles. My major critique is that Toibin perhaps reads too much into this aspect of James life; I am not convinced that James was as repressed as Toibin, and others today would think. It is perhaps overly simplistic to impose today's cultural mores and understanding upon those of another era?”

  tapbirds wrote this review Tuesday, December 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Very well written book with interesting insight to the life of Henry James.”

  LKL wrote this review Thursday, August 9 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “An insight into the solitude of Henry James. Compelled me to read more James.”

  earlesloan wrote this review Sunday, July 29 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “I would give this 3.5 stars is possible. I went into this novel not knowing what to expect since I have (shame on me!) not read any Henry James novels and he is the protagonist of this historical fiction. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I felt I grew to know James's (the fictional James at any rate) personality through this novel. However, I thought it did drag at some points perhaps if it had been 50-75 pages shorter I would have given it 4 stars.”

  KateT wrote this review Tuesday, January 23 2007. ( reply | permalink )