59 pages • 1 hour read
Henry JamesA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Adam Verver, a wealthy American widower, is at a country estate named Fawns. While the rest of his family attends the Sunday service at the local church, he stays at home. He plays billiards to escape from his American guests, particularly Mrs. Rance. She is a companion of the Miss Lutches, a pair of Maggie’s friends. Adam suspects that Mrs. Rance is hoping to seduce and marry him, even though she supposedly has “a husband in undiminished existence” (98). Adam remembers the first time he visited Europe following the death of his wife when Maggie was just 10. Adam had visited Europe numerous times; he and his wife honeymooned in Europe and began collecting antiques. Following his wife’s death, Adam returned to Europe—Italy, specifically—purchasing antiques for a museum. Now, he plans to put his best items on display in a special collection.
A year has passed since Maggie married Amerigo. They have a young son, nicknamed Principino, Italian for “little prince.” The family has gone to the nearby Catholic church to receive Sunday Mass, while Mrs. Rance and Miss Lutches attend the Anglican church near Fawns. Like her mother, Maggie is Catholic.
By Henry James
Daisy Miller
Henry James
Roderick Hudson
Henry James
The Ambassadors
Henry James
The American
Henry James
The Aspern Papers
Henry James
The Beast in the Jungle
Henry James
The Bostonians
Henry James
The Jolly Corner
Henry James
The Portrait of a Lady
Henry James
The Real Thing
Henry James
The Turn of the Screw
Henry James
The Wings of the Dove
Henry James
Washington Square
Henry James
What Maisie Knew
Henry James
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection
View Collection