Daisy Miller

Henry James's novella probes the social and emotional complications that follow the overly familiar but innocent behavior of Daisy Miller, a newly rich American traveling in Switzerland and Rome. This recording also includes the preface that James wrote later in life for his New York edition. Initially, the choice of a female reader might seem misguided for a story that is filtered through the consciousness of Frederick Winterbourne, an American expatriate who observes and analyzes Daisy's behavior. However, by maintaining a vigorous, satisfying pace, Susan O'Malley holds the listener's attention admirably. Her reading is intelligent and agreeable. G.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine


This early work by James, one of his first "American abroad" stories, was his first real success. Telling the story of an American girl, the eponymous character, confronted with Europe's mores and customs, James concisely draws powerful characters confronting their preconceptions. In this reading by Bobbie Frohman, however, Daisy's naïveté becomes exaggerated by the ditzy voice the narrator gives her, undermining the latent sophistication of this young woman. The reading, in general, is fine and comfortable, though the changes in intonation often make it sound as though the narrator is trying too hard, but James comes through well. This short work may be one of the best introductions to a type of story that James would repeat over the year. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine