Daisy Miller = 66 down, 34 to go

16 Jul

Classic
Daisy Miller
Henry James
142 pages

Daisy Miller is a young American woman touring Europe with her mother and young brother. Frederick Forsyth Winterbourne, an American living abroad, is quite taken with Ms. Miller when he meets her in a garden in Switzerland. He pursues her, but much to his disappointment, her openly flirtatious demeanor is frowned upon by his society aunt and other American compatriots.

They meet again later in Italy, where Ms. Miller is spending inordinate amounts of time with a number of Italian gentlemen, especially Giovanelli. Oftentimes, she will entertain both Giovanelli and Winterbourne simultaneously, much to the chagrin of them both. Again, wealthy American society members strongly disapprove of her and her behavior. Ms. Miller seems in no way deterred by their disapproval – though I wasn’t sure I paid close enough attention as to whether or not she was undeterred or just oblivious. This book showcased the juxtaposition between American and European sensibilities.

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