Daisy Miller

Daisy Miller is one of Henry James' shorter and earlier novels. It was written in 1878. It portrays the confused courtship of a headstrong American girl by Winterbourne, a compatriot of hers who is much more sophisticated. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates they meet in Switzerland and Italy. Her lack of understanding regarding social mores of the society she so desperately wishes to enter ultimately leads to a very unexpected ending. In addition to being a very good story, the novel serves as both a psychological description of the mind of a young woman and an analysis of the traditional views of a society to a clear outsider. This continues to be one of James's most popular works.Public Domain (P)1987 Jimcin Recordings