The Portrait of a Lady

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Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady was first made available as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and also in Macmillan's Magazine in the years 1880-1881 before being printed as a book in that same year. It is quite possibly one of James' most well-known long novels and is hailed by critics as one of his best works to date. The Portrait of Lady Volume II starts off in Rome where Isabel is seen rejecting Lord Warburton in the opening chapters while also being chased by Gilbert Osmond, the American expatriate she meets in the first volume of the novel. The book takes place in Europe, primarily in England and Italy, like the majority of James's works. The sequel majorly focuses on Isabel's life after her marriage to Gilbert Osmond and explores her relationship with Osmond's apparent daughter from his first marriage, Pansy. The novel gives the readers an open ending where they are free to interpret whether Isabel chooses to stay by Osmond's side in her loveless and abusive marriage or whether she rescues Pansy and leaves Osmond along with her. Isabel's tale of love and betrayal still touches audiences today because of its extreme poignancy.