Four Meetings

Life can get hectic when you're young and chronically ill. But here I'm with a new review, albeit a short one. Last Sunday I picked up Four Meetings.

I must admit I had high expectations because I do have a thing for Henry James. There is something so effortless about his writing style, his prose always seems to flow and yet it always feels substantial and meaningful. Now, that's quite a combination if you ask me. Another thing I enjoy and sometimes ma Long time, no see goodreads! Another thing I enjoy and sometimes marvel at when it comes to his writing is the ambiguity.

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Perhaps this story isn't a best example of that, for this time it is the central heroine that lives in ambiguity and not the reader. Or is it so? The story is told by a male narrator that sounds suspiciously like Henry James himself. In other words, he is an American living in Europe. He meets a young woman, an American teacher that dreams of visiting Europe.

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She will be the heroine of this story. The four meetings referred to in the title will reveal her sad destiny. Every time our narrator meets her we learn more of her. This is basically a story in four scenic episodes That would make for a brilliant mini series!

The ending of the story is not entirely clear, but we can guess it is not a happy one. Not a spoiler, is it? I mean it's Henry James, you know that it won't end up with - they lived happily ever after. Henry James wrote some amazing women characters. Tragic heroines seem to be his specialty. The story is perhaps a bit predictable, but honestly I found it so easy to relate to it. It's a very touching story indeed. I could really sympathize with the heroine of this story. Bless her poor puritan heart.

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However, I don't feel sorry for her. I feel there is bravery in her innocence, something that I can't help but respect. Perhaps her illusions have a value of their own? Perhaps her fate is not so tragic? Perhaps it is better to believe in something that isn't true than to be vulgar? Who is really the victim? I had a lot of questions upon finishing this story, and I happen to think that's a sign of good writing.

I can definitely recommend this one to fans of Henry James. It's very much his signature style. If you liked Daisy Miller, you'll probably like this one as well. On the other hand, I can see how it might seem naive to a cynic. I suppose it's not a story for everyone, but it definitely has its place among the classics. Aug 25, Ci rated it liked it. This is a sad and disturbing tale of a young woman being cheated, all because she is unworldly kind, charitable, and an biding love for the beauty of European.

Her kindness and aesthetics warped her ability to see the world as it-is, instead of what she imagines.

Read in Daisy Miller and Other Stories. A man recalls the four times he met Caroline Spencer. The first time was when she was a young woman in America, the second and third times take place in Europe, and the last time was back in America. The unnamed man narrates the story.

The narrator, while a part of her life because he knows her, is an outsider and relays her story without ever offering any help or guidance. Aug 21, Laura Verret marked it as to-read Shelves: Rceviltwins rated it liked it Feb 10, Diksha rated it really liked it Jul 04, Jessica rated it it was amazing Dec 08, Her name was Miss Caroline Spencer.

The photographs were usualy things he knew, views of Switzerland, Italy, and Spain so he said what he could abut them and they started to talk about Europe. She told him that she really wanted to travel to Europe among other things, they talked for a long time and then she went. The second meeting was three years later.

There he went out for a walk with his brother-in-law. The third meeting was the next day. The next morning he went to find her but she was not there. The last meeting was five years later and during this period his friend Latouche died of a malarious fever, he went back to Grimwinter to pay a consolatory visit to the poor Latouche's mother. When he arrived to the house he noticed that it was in poor condition and he thought that there was no one.

She told him that her cousin had died two years ago and that she was unable to recover her money. Now she was living with two more people: While they were talking they drank a coffee and finally he went. To turn text into a link, highlight the text, then click on a page or file from the list above. Already have an account? This Sidebar appears everywhere on your wiki.