Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Washington Square follows the coming-of-age of its plain-faced, kindhearted heroine, Catherine Sloper. Much to her father’s vexation, a handsome opportunist named Morris Townsend woos the long-suffering heiress, intent on claiming her fortune. When Catherine stubbornly refuses to call off her engagement, Dr. Sloper forces Catherine to choose between her inheritance and the only man she will ever truly love. Cynthia Ozick, in her Introduction to what she calls Henry James’s “most American fiction,” writes that “every line, every paragraph, every chapter [of Washington Square] is a fleet-footed light brigade, an engine of irony.” Precise and understated, this charming novel endures as a matchless study of New York in the mid-nineteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

Catherine the assertive
About twenty years ago, assertiveness training was all the rage. Catherine Sloper uses all the techniques of assertiveness, humbly standing by her own point of view no matter how much pressure is put on her. This is true from the first page of the book to the last; her assertiveness at last makes her a little cruel, which is not surprising in the daughter of such a cruel father. But she remains honest and true to herself.

Henry James didn't include this story in the New York Edition selection of his best works, perhaps because he explains outright that Morris Townsend is a fortune hunter and in other ways tips off the reader to many of his characters' motivations.

He's subtle about Catherine, though. You can feel so sorry for her you never notice she's by far the strongest person in the book.

Meanwhile the book is slambang fast-paced for a romance novel. It never gets to the bedroom, but the people who say nothing happens must be pretty hungry for happenings. The suitor gets the heroine to fall in love. The father checks up on the suitor. The aunt has midnight meetings with the suitor. The suitor and the heroine meet while the father is away. The father offers the daughter the equivalent of half a million dollarsa year after his death just for her promise never to marry the suitor. The suitor quarrels with her and leaves. The suitor comes back -- all of this in about 160 pages, and I skipped the trip to Europe where the father half strands his daughter in lonely, scary country.

Don't miss this one.

Who needs enemies?
James is an emotionally insightful and understated author.Re-reading "Wahsington Squre" reminded me how of that.Catherine is an average 1870's New Yorker in every way except one; she's an heiress.Her mother died when she was very young leaving her $10,000 a year.She's set to inherit double that amount from her doctor father.It seems the money is important to everyone but her.Her Aunt Pennyman, her surrogate mother, urges her to encourage Morris, a fortune hunter.Since Catherine's inexperienced and not considered pretty or accomplished or particularly intelligent she's easy pickings when Auntie and would be bridegroom coral her.Her father on the other hand see's clearly that Morris' main desire is Catherine's money.He does everything he can to prevent the union even whisking her to Europe for a year.This is a bittersweet tale where no one is genuinely concerned for Catherine not even herself.With friends and family like this who needs enemies?

I know people sometimes have problems reading James because of his complex writing style."Washington Square", along with "Portrait of a Lady', is his most accessible book in my opinion."Washington Square" is also a much shorter than his other major works.

Misplaced passions
In contrast to James's earlier novels, where European and American ideals are often embodied in the form of beautiful women of superficiality on one side and less attractive women of substance on the other (with the male figures torn between the respective attractions of each), in Washington Square (1880), James follows his more nuanced and intriguing characterisation of Daisy Miller (1878) with another fascinating female protagonist - a quite plain and ordinary heroine - and finds in her another means to look at social attitudes.

Catherine Sloper is the daughter of an eminent and respected widower doctor who lives at Washington Square in New York.She's not clever, not pretty and a bit of a glutton for cream cakes, but she is clearly good, obedient and docile.These aren't qualities that Dr Sloper believes will result in a distinguished marriage, and he reluctantly accepts the fact, leaving his daughter's upbringing and education in the hands of his sister Mrs Penniman, a widow.At the ripe old age of 22, Catherine, shy, sensitive and of a delicate disposition, remains unmarried and indeed uncourted.

When a young man shows interest in his daughter, Dr. Sloper is initially amused, but suspicious of the fact that Morris Townsend has no money, no position and appears to be living off his married sister, who herself is not at all wealthy, and seeing no attraction in his own daughter other than the dowry and inheritance that she will come into, he takes a great dislike to the young man and opposes any suggestion of a marriage.Mrs Penniman however has romantic ideas about a secret union and tries to encourage both parties to go against her brother's wishes.Poor Catherine seems to be caught in the middle with no will or volition of her own.

Washington Square is not the most impressive Henry James, but it's a slim little novel that is delightfully twisted in its own way, and neatly and satisfactorily wrapped up as ever with James, who never goes against the tone of his stories.It's very much a "talkie" book - everyone has meetings with everyone else and has a frank conversation, believing they are being honest and upfront, with the best interests of Catherine at heart, but in reality, they care for nothing more than themselves, their own sense of self-importance and self-interest and how they are regarded in society if Catherine has no concerns for it herself.It's in the absence of any volition on the part of the rather nondescript Catherine that both Mrs Penniman and Dr. Sloper (and to a large extent even Morris Townsend as well) go as far as enacting on her behalf the passions she appears to lack - passions that prove to be false and misplaced, while Catherine remains true.

Washington Square is a popular James novel for its romantic novelistic touches, even if it was never a favourite of the author himself.It's far from the strongest Henry James novel, not even of his earlier work, but the characterisation is well observed, never giving in to standard expectations, and carried through realistically - and almost cruelly - to the end.Catherine (along with the aforementioned Daisy Miller) is at least one of James's most interesting female characters of this period - one that seems to operate outside the normal binary distinctions one finds in early James works.

Qaint Read
Washington Square by Henry James is a good story which I bought for an English College class. I didn't particularly like how most of the story was concentrated on the home setting of the "Washington Square" part of town, but hey that's what the book is called right? For those wanting a slow but interesting classic read I recommend it.

Great reading
Just finished reading Washington Square by Henry James. A masterpiece of character sketching of an autocratic all knowing father and a devoted daughter who shows an astonishing strength of mind when pushed to the limit of endurance by both her lover and her father. What a page turner this book turned out to be even though nothing happens in terms of events. The absence of the mother in Catherine's case adds to the tragedy of the situation. The mother is role is replaced by that of a silly and cunning aunt whose character is the only one that seems hard to believe. One is happy that the patriarch Dr. Sloper with all his money power is snubbed in the end and even his threat to cut catherine off from her inheritance doesnt quite give him the satisfaction he craves " to have done the right thing". A celebration of womanhood and a must read for everyone.

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Product Description
Port Washington is located 17 miles east of Manhattan on Long Island’s North Shore. Once known as the “shellfish garden” of New York City, it is known for its bounteous bays, yachting and boatbuilding, celebrity residents, and pioneering aviation activities. Immigration, technology, economic changes, and geographical forces shaped Port Washington over the years. Its burgeoning aviation industry was led by the Guggenheims and Charles Lindbergh in the 1930s, and the literary and musical giants who lived here included John Philip Sousa, William Rose Benet, and Sinclair Lewis. During the war years in the 1940s, Grumman and the United States Navy set up crucial operations in Port Washington. An era of suburbanization and development soon followed, reflecting the prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A people's history
How great if libraries nation-wide could produce a document like this one. Photos and text work together to illustrate the huge diversity of lives in one place. My personal favorite is Young Willie Leiber in his homemade milk crage wagon on September 20, 1908. The book is relevant for L.I. residents, but also forhistorians (and others) who wish to learn more about American town life - theobjects and occupations of people's actual day-to-day lives.

The surprising diversity of suburbia
My husband and I chose to bring up our children in Port Washington, largely because of its ethnic, economic, and racial diversity, as well as its top schools and good railroad commuting. This book has a treasured spot on our bookshelf as it shows how this diversity developed since the 17th century, from a small clamming and fishing community to the lively suburb it is today. Descendants of the Italian sandminers whose work paved the streets of Manhattan still live here, as do those of executives who came here to work in America's fledgling airline industry.

The 250 photos in the book are priceless, showing the town, its people, their pastimes and their work, from the unsung and unheralded to the rich and famous, like the Guggenheims, the Hearsts, the Whitneys. And the painstakingly researched photo captions provide background information on the area's rich history.

The book is a must for every Port Washington household -- and for anyone interested in the intimate history of a small town.

Splendid piece of history
The collection of photos in this book are priceless and the author had accompanied each with details that give much insight into the workings and residents of Port Washington beginning almost a century ago. While the history is specific to Port Washington,it is not so different from the history of much of the North Shore of Long Island. It would make a wonderful gift for people living in this area. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

George Washington Biography
The book, George Washington and the Making of a Nation, is an excellent book for upper-elementary and middle-grade students.There is a great deal of information about the personal life and professional accomplishements of this great man.Washington's actions, especially in regard to the revolutionary war, are well covered and quite thorough.

The book is lavishly illustrated with color and grayscale pictures that are strategically placed throughout the text in a way that is particularly helpful to the reader.Most students will find this book to be a fairly easy read that captivates them while they learn about the character of our first president. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. This biography of one of the most famous and recognizable American presidents includes a look at Washington's childhood, his life as a farmer, statesman, general, and his days as president. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: Washington : Govt. Print. Off.; Publication date: 1900; Subjects: Washington (D.C.); Bibliography; Washington, D.C; Reference / Bibliographies ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Dynamics of Change is a unique and valuable history of the Washington State Library, from its territorial beginnings in 1853 to the late 1990s. Maryan Reynolds breathes life into this historical narrative with her firsthand account of the library's expansion since the 1940s, when she joined the staff.

The Dynamics of Change is a chronicle of the development of a critical state public service, recounting how the Washington State Library facilitated the effective functioning of state government, the development of library service in the state, and the leading role women have played in establishing superior and technologically sophisticated library services for the citizens of Washington - services nationally recognized as outstanding. ... Read more