James,Henry / Stevenson,Juliet - Golden Bowl - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Wealthy Maggie Verver has everything she could ever ask for - except for a husband, and a title. While in Italy, acquiring art for his museum back in the states, Maggie's millionaire father Adam decides to remedy this and acquire a husband for Maggie. Enter Prince Amerigo, of a titled, but now poor, aristocratic Florentine family. Amerigo is the perfect candidate. Delighted, Maggie then reciprocates by choosing a partner for her widower father childhood friend Charlotte Stant. The stage is set, and what unfolds is a deep and gripping exploration of fidelity and the politics of love and marriage. Published in 1904, The Golden Bowl displays Henry James at his finest James weaves scene upon scene, set piece upon set piece, into a seamless whole, through a richly dense tapestry of beautiful, flowing prose. Along with The Ambassadors and The Wings of the Dove, it constitutes James's final, and most rewarding, phase as a novelist. Juliet Stevenson is an outstanding narrator. She is consistently showered with critical acclaim for her thoughtful, intelligent performances.