The Ambassadors by Henry James
The novel centers around a middle-aged man named Lambert Strether who is sent from New England to Paris by a wealthy widow, Mrs. Newsome, to convince her wayward son, Chad, to return home. However, upon arriving in Europe, Strether is charmed by the sophisticated lifestyle Chad has adopted and finds himself questioning the puritanical values of his homeland. He also becomes entangled in romantic relationships and complex social dynamics, leading him to ultimately question his loyalty to Mrs. Newsome. The book explores themes of morality, identity, and the concept of the American versus European lifestyle.
The 198th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 4th on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 7th on For The Love of Books (For The Love of Books)
- 18th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 19th on The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century (Folha de São Paulo)
- 23rd on 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Larry McCaffery)
- 27th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 54th on In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels (ThisRecording.com)
- 79th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)