Henry James
Published: 2020-07-17
Total Pages: 484
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The novel opens in Paris in May 1868. Christopher Newman, a wealthy American businessman in his mid-thirties is visiting the Louvre museum, but becomes overwhelmed by the number of paintings he is seeing. He notices a young woman making a copy of one of the paintings and strikes up a conversation with her, offering to buy the copy. The young woman, who is named Noemie Nioche, persuades him to pay a high price, and also introduces him to her father, who offers to give Newman French lessons. After the father and daughter depart, Newman runs into a fellow American, Tom Tristram, who he had befriended during the war. Newman explains to Tristram that he has made a fortune for himself through hard work and enterprise, but is now focused on enjoying himself. Tristram introduces Newman to his wife, and he confides to them that he is seeking to marry. Mrs Tristram mentions a friend of hers, a young widow named Claire de Cintre who comes from a very old and aristocratic family, and praises her very highly. A short time later, he visits the Tristram family again, and finds Madame de Cintre there on a visit. Intrigued, he goes to her family home to visit her, where he meets her two brothers. The younger, Valentin, is kind, but the older, Urbain, is reserved and tells Newman that Madame de Cintre is not at home.