2 h 27 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 60 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 60 pagesAbout this book
What if your friendliness becomes the evidence everyone uses against you?
At a hotel in Vevey, Switzerland, Daisy Miller wants to enjoy Europe on her own terms. Frederick Winterbourne, a young American long settled in Geneva, is drawn to her confidence. But his aunt, Mrs Costello, refuses to meet the Millers. Daisy speaks openly and follows her wishes; Winterbourne wonders how to read her.
In Rome, Daisy’s friendship with the handsome Mr Giovanelli brings her under closer scrutiny. Mrs Walker tries to guide her, while Winterbourne measures her conduct against his circle’s rules. In Henry James’s short novel, quiet conversations carry sharp judgments. What matters more: Daisy’s belief in her own honesty, or the reputation others build around her?
What you’ll discover
- A woman who resists Meet Daisy, whose wish to enjoy herself runs against the expectations surrounding her.
- A watcher in doubt See through Winterbourne’s eyes as attraction and social habit pull his judgment apart.
- From Vevey to Rome Follow Daisy from a Swiss lakeside hotel into a society quick to judge.
- The weight of gossip Notice how ordinary meetings become tests of character when reputation matters more than understanding.
- Questions without easy answers Weigh innocence against carelessness in a story that leaves room for your own judgment.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like short, precise stories about manners, pride and misjudgment, and anyone curious about Americans in Europe. If you want fast action or a plot full of surprises, its quiet, talky scenes may feel slow.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A young man meets a girl in Vevey
- Her family and the aunt's verdict
- A boat ride to the castle of Chillon
- Rome, a new friend and a hard society
- Innocence, reputation and who gets to judge
- How James tells it: a study of a watcher
Who’s who
- Daisy MillerA pretty, confident young American from Schenectady who travels in Europe and wants to enjoy herself and meet society on her own terms.
- Frederick WinterbourneA young American long settled in Geneva who is drawn to Daisy but cannot stop weighing her by the standards of his social circle.
- Randolph MillerDaisy's small, outspoken brother, who dislikes Europe and always asks for candy.
- Mrs MillerDaisy's mother, a vague and anxious woman who cannot manage her children and worries more about her own health.
- Mrs CostelloWinterbourne's proud aunt, who keeps a narrow social circle and refuses to meet the Millers.
- Mrs WalkerA well-meaning American resident of Rome who tries to guide Daisy and punishes her when she refuses to listen.
- Mr GiovanelliA handsome, courteous Italian who becomes Daisy's companion in Rome and whose real motives are hard to read.
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Daisy Miller: A Study
by Henry James· 1878
An American woman abroad faces suspicion over her social freedom.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A young man meets a girl in Vevey
The story opens in Vevey, where the Trois Couronnes hotel faces the lake. Frederick Winterbourne, a young American who has lived most of his life in Geneva, is visiting his aunt, Mrs Costello. He sits in the garden, smokes a cigarette and drinks his coffee. Soon a small boy of about nine appears, carrying a long alpenstock, a walking pole, and poking it at everything in sight.
The boy is Randolph Miller, and he is blunt. He tells Winterbourne that he is an American boy, that he wants candy, and that his teeth are being taken out by the climate of Europe. He does not like Switzerland much. Winterbourne finds him odd and rather funny, and he listens with interest.
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The author
Henry James
1843–1916 · American British novelist
Henry James was born in New York City in 1843. He settled in England in 1876 and became a British citizen in 1915. He wrote novels, stories, plays, and travel books. His works include Daisy Miller (1878), The Turn of the Screw (1898), and The Ambassadors (1903). He died in London in 1916.
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What is Daisy Miller about?
It is about a young American woman travelling in Switzerland and Italy whose open, friendly manner shocks the American community abroad. The story follows how Winterbourne and others judge her, and what that judgment costs.
When was Daisy Miller written and is it a true story?
Henry James published it in 1878. It is fiction, though James drew on what he saw of American travellers in Europe, and the story is said to have grown from an anecdote he heard in Rome.
Why is it called A Study?
The subtitle shows that James treats Daisy as a close study of a type, the independent American girl abroad, and of how society reacts to her. It signals careful observation more than plot.
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