Why people recommend it
The Golden Bowl by Henry James is a complex, late-period psychological novel that explores betrayal, marriage, and moral ambiguity among a small circle of wealthy Americans in Europe. On The Book Review podcast, the novel was discussed in several episodes, including Colm Toibin on His Sequel to 'Brooklyn', Twilight's Last Gleaming?, and Richard Powers on ‘Bewilderment’. Colm Toibin recommended the novel as a comforting, frequently reread book, noting that it served as an influence and reference point while teaching because it features a remarkably tight cast of only four main characters. In contrast, other podcast participants shared early negative experiences with the book. John Williams mentioned casting the novel aside in college after reading only a chapter, and host Pamela Paul recalled being assigned the book in college, admitting that she stopped reading it and despised it. These contrasting perspectives on The Book Review highlighted the polarizing nature of Henry James's dense prose style, contrasting Toibin's deep admiration and pedagogical appreciation with the frustrating academic encounters described by other staff members on the podcast team.
Who recommended it
- Colm Toibin Recommended
- John Williams Discussed
- Pamela Paul Discussed
Colm Toibin — 2 mentions
“so so I was looking at something like the golden Bow by Henry James for example in which there really are only four characters”
“Golden Bowl by Henry James”
John Williams — 1 mention
“I had a similar early negative Henry James experience with the Golden Bowl in college which I think I I read read like chapter of um before casting it aside”
Pamela Paul — 1 mention
“another book that she assigned was the golden Bow by Henry James I also stopped reading it despised it”