Riassunto
Riassunto di L’americano
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love thoughtful love stories, clashes of cultures and a hero worth caring about. It is also a gentle first step into Henry James.
Che cos’è questo libro
The American is a novel by Henry James, first published in 1877. James was himself an American who made his home in Europe, and he wrote this book early, when he was working out what an American abroad could mean as a subject. It follows Christopher Newman, a man from the western United States who has made a large fortune and now wants something else from life.
Newman arrives in Paris with money, good humor and a plan. He has decided that he has worked enough and that he deserves the best the world can offer. For him that means art, travel and, above all, a wife. He is open, generous and sure of himself, and he has no idea how closed some doors can be.
The book gives you a love story, a comedy of manners and a study of two ways of life set against each other. You will meet Parisian aristocrats whose family name matters more to them than anything money can buy. You will also meet a young man who is easy to like. Let us begin where Newman begins, in the galleries of the Louvre, with a purchase and a first meeting.
In questo riassunto
- 1A rich American wants the bestFree
- 2Newman buys a painting and a lesson
- 3The Tristrams offer an introduction
- 4Valentin de Bellegarde becomes a friend
- 5Newman asks, and the family weighs him
- 6Two civilizations weigh each other
- 7Money, honor and what a person is worth
- 8A comedy that grows darker
- 9What to watch as the walls close in
Punto chiave 1 di 9
A rich American wants the best
The story opens in Paris, in the Louvre, where Christopher Newman sits on a sofa in the great gallery, tired from looking at pictures. He is tall and relaxed, with the manner of a man who has never been told that he does not belong. He comes from the American West and has made a fortune in business. He has also left that world behind in a way that says something about him.
Newman tells us, in his own plain way, that he once found himself in a hard struggle with a business rival. At the last moment he chose not to strike the blow that would have ruined the man. He did not feel noble about it. He simply felt that he was done with that kind of life. He sold up, and he set out for Europe.
What does he want there? He is not sure how to say it, but he wants the best. He wants fine things to look at, and he wants to see the old world his countrymen talk about. Most of all he has begun to think that a man in his position should marry, and marry well. The phrase he uses is that he wants the handsomest and most perfect woman he can find.
James makes this wish both funny and attractive. Newman buys what he is told is good, with more confidence than knowledge. He is shrewd about people and innocent about history. He assumes that the world works as business does, with an honest offer and an honest answer.
He also carries a companion for part of his travels, a serious young minister named Mr. Babcock, who worries about the morals of art and Europe. Babcock gives Newman a mirror, since his gloom shows how cheerful Newman is. From the first chapters we like Newman, and we feel a small fear for him as well.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
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Who’s who
- Christopher Newman
- A wealthy American businessman seeking a wife in Europe, Newman trusts others to share his generosity and fairness.
- Claire de Cintré
- A reserved young French widow, Claire lives under the authority of her aristocratic mother and elder brother.
- Valentin de Bellegarde
- Claire's witty younger brother becomes Newman's friend and admires the independence his American companion takes for granted.
- Madame de Bellegarde
- The proud mother of Claire, Valentin and Urbain guards her family's rank and distrusts Newman's suitability.
- Urbain de Bellegarde
- Claire's formal elder brother shares his mother's devotion to noble ancestry and her reservations about Newman.
- Mrs. Tristram
- Newman's clever American friend in Paris introduces him to Claire and takes an interest in his courtship.
- Noémie Nioche
- An ambitious young painting copyist, Noémie meets Newman at the Louvre and sees opportunity in his wealth.
- Mrs. Bread
- An observant English servant in the Bellegarde household, Mrs. Bread knows the family and watches its affairs closely.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 137,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 9 h 10 min
- Listening time15 h 15 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 10 other languages
Questions about L’americano
What is The American by Henry James about?
It follows Christopher Newman, a rich American who goes to Paris to find the best life can offer. He falls in love with Claire de Cintré and must face her proud, aristocratic family, who value their name above his fortune.
Who is Christopher Newman?
Newman is a self-made businessman from the American West who has retired from commerce and tours Europe. He is generous, honest and direct, and his plain manners and strong code of fairness set him apart from the French nobles he meets.
When was The American written and is it a true story?
Henry James published it in 1877. It is a work of fiction, not a true story, though it draws on James's own observations of Americans abroad and of old European society, which he knew well.
Is The American hard to read?
It is one of the easier novels by James. The language is clear, the plot is straightforward, and the humor and romance keep it moving.
What is the main message of The American?
The book sets personal worth against inherited rank and asks which counts for more. It suggests that honesty and fairness matter deeply, while also showing how hard it is for different worlds to understand each other.