Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)

I am almost positive that I have read this in some distant past, but decided to re-read it in order to read John Banville's recent sequel to it.  On the down side, nothing is familiar about it, not the character or the details of the story.  The good news is that it is absolutely wonderful to read.  I loved it, and was sorry to have it end, especially where it did.  So weirdly I got some insight into why Banville might have wanted it to go one.
Isabel Archer is equal parts vivacious and intelligent, with a mixture of naivete and a healthy portion of luck.  She is the sort of girl who lights up a room, who men of all ages fall for in no time.  She has suitors galore and no real interest in relationships or marriage. She is a woman at the end of the nineteenth century, still bound by some conventions, but certainly sensing that they are all about to undergo major change.  She wants to see the world, and she has an aunt who takes a liking to her, and makes it happen for her.
It is her goodness and lack of guile that lead her down a garden path that threatens to suffocate her spirit.  From the middle of the story onward she is slowly tumbling to that fact, and trying to figure out how to extricate herself.  It is charming and in a lot of ways, you almost forget that it is also quite tragic.  Recommended, whether you go on to read Banville's novel or not.