Although you are right that this book might not be one of James's best works, it is one that I personally love because of its intersections with my own historical interests: the post-war North/South thing (and related social idealism and reform issues), early feminism and Boston marriages, and other radical movements popular in New England at the time. (Interestingly, most people seem to think Miss Birdseye was sort of a parody of the real woman who ran sort of the precursor to the Brattle--Steve's hangout. More on that story another time.) As others have mentioned in your comments, James was writing about a time when some women were choosing to form committed partnerships with other women in order to live independent lives even if they never married or were widowed or whatever. We don't really know if all of these relationships were romantic much less sexual, but many of the couples had commitment ceremonies, wore rings, etc.--and their heterosexual friends treated them more or less as they did their heterosexual married couple friends, accepting their committed partnerships (perhaps because it was subtle enough not to be threatening). James had both a sister and a friend in this kind of relationship. My take on this book is that Olive is desperately jealous--not a manhater in the abstract. She hates Basil and other men who flirt with Verena because she is afraid they might steal the woman she loves. While I do think he is satirizing feminism in this book and his portrayal of Olive is often unkind, he also seems to be quite sympathetic to the pain Olive clearly feels when Verena does not love her back. I really need to make my own video on this book sometime! Sorry to take up so much space in your comments!
Speaking as one of those squalid UA-cam viewers, and I thank you for that estimate- I think most would regard The Bostonians as a minor James effort, not least because many are surprised not to find him more sympathetic to feminist and progressive views. But he isn’t-wasn’t-and there’s an end on’t. Or- to persevere-despite his own unconventional background in Swedenborgianism and a dozen alternatives to standard American Victorian thought, and despite his own not-quite-buried homosexuality, he couldn’t resist throwing mud on feminism and lesbianism. There are better instances of James elsewhere, as you know.
@ Washington Square. The Turn of the Screw. Four Meetings. In the Cage. Brooksmith. The Figure in the Carpet. The Jolly Corner. Even if you don’t groove to the short story, James being James, and Victorian-Edwardian English being what it is, the short stories are so long that you won’t feel short-shrifted by a Hemingway-Mansfield-Rhys sort of squib.
Washington Square, Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl, The Ambassadors, The Europeans are all more consequential works. There was a film adaptation of The Bostonians featuring Christopher Reeves as Basil Ransome and Vanessa Redgrave as Olive. I remember reading somewhere that the character of Olive was inspired by James’ sister, Alice.
Fun fact: I own the only copy of the poster seen by Basil Ransom about Verena’s public appearance in the film version. I admire it in a window, and the designer of it gave it to me-the other copy was destroyed by CR in filming (Basil tears it off the post).
A French novel by your choice, or thoughts on new things published in France, would be wonderful. I presume you are not fond of French literature, but there are excellent novels there. I would like to hear your opinion
Although you are right that this book might not be one of James's best works, it is one that I personally love because of its intersections with my own historical interests: the post-war North/South thing (and related social idealism and reform issues), early feminism and Boston marriages, and other radical movements popular in New England at the time. (Interestingly, most people seem to think Miss Birdseye was sort of a parody of the real woman who ran sort of the precursor to the Brattle--Steve's hangout. More on that story another time.)
As others have mentioned in your comments, James was writing about a time when some women were choosing to form committed partnerships with other women in order to live independent lives even if they never married or were widowed or whatever. We don't really know if all of these relationships were romantic much less sexual, but many of the couples had commitment ceremonies, wore rings, etc.--and their heterosexual friends treated them more or less as they did their heterosexual married couple friends, accepting their committed partnerships (perhaps because it was subtle enough not to be threatening). James had both a sister and a friend in this kind of relationship.
My take on this book is that Olive is desperately jealous--not a manhater in the abstract. She hates Basil and other men who flirt with Verena because she is afraid they might steal the woman she loves. While I do think he is satirizing feminism in this book and his portrayal of Olive is often unkind, he also seems to be quite sympathetic to the pain Olive clearly feels when Verena does not love her back.
I really need to make my own video on this book sometime! Sorry to take up so much space in your comments!
@@HannahsBooks thank you for applying the expert hand Hannah! Maybe it’ll reward a re-reading in the coming years!
Look up the term "Boston marriage".
There rides the context, galloping into the frame!
Speaking as one of those squalid UA-cam viewers, and I thank you for that estimate- I think most would regard The Bostonians as a minor James effort, not least because many are surprised not to find him more sympathetic to feminist and progressive views. But he isn’t-wasn’t-and there’s an end on’t. Or- to persevere-despite his own unconventional background in Swedenborgianism and a dozen alternatives to standard American Victorian thought, and despite his own not-quite-buried homosexuality, he couldn’t resist throwing mud on feminism and lesbianism. There are better instances of James elsewhere, as you know.
I always thought, without justification of course, that 'The Bostonians' was a major player on his court. Thank you for resetting those parameters!
@ Washington Square. The Turn of the Screw. Four Meetings. In the Cage. Brooksmith. The Figure in the Carpet. The Jolly Corner.
Even if you don’t groove to the short story, James being James, and Victorian-Edwardian English being what it is, the short stories are so long that you won’t feel short-shrifted by a Hemingway-Mansfield-Rhys sort of squib.
Washington Square, Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl, The Ambassadors, The Europeans are all more consequential works.
There was a film adaptation of The Bostonians featuring Christopher Reeves as Basil Ransome and Vanessa Redgrave as Olive. I remember reading somewhere that the character of Olive was inspired by James’ sister, Alice.
@@mame-musing , I am all in for Wings and Bowl and Ambassadors-but they are rather daunting for all but the most dedicated James reader.
Fun fact: I own the only copy of the poster seen by Basil Ransom about Verena’s public appearance in the film version. I admire it in a window, and the designer of it gave it to me-the other copy was destroyed by CR in filming (Basil tears it off the post).
A French novel by your choice, or thoughts on new things published in France, would be wonderful. I presume you are not fond of French literature, but there are excellent novels there. I would like to hear your opinion
I have Madame Bovary on my shelves. I'll unearth her in due course!
The only reason I think that we are to imagine Verena on the cover is that that image is too pretty for Olive…
You might like Bovary, but I wonder what you’d make of Balzac…
@@orsino88 If only those dainty little pictoral artists would consult the text once in a while!
Well, I can't wait. I will 🕵♂️ to be prepared for debate