The Bostonians - Lynn's Take

The Bostonians, by Henry James, is set in the postbellum period, on the East Coast - primarily Boston.  The story is about a love triangle between two cousins vying for the affections of the same woman.  That one of the cousins is female is novel for the time - the book was written in the late 19th century - and caused no small stir at the time.  The book is also a satire of the contemporaneous feminist movement, of which the author is apparently highly skeptical.

Basil Ransom is Olive Chancellor's cousin, a Confederate war veteran from Mississippi.  We are introduced to Olive and Basil on the first page as they meet each other for the first time.  Olive, who is active in the Boston feminist movement, has invited Basil to visit her merely out of a sense of duty; when he proves to be opposed to her prime passion in life - feminism - she takes an immediate dislike.  Her dislike is so intense, in fact, that she has a foreboding that he will ruin her life.

The same night that they meet each other, Basil and Olive both meet Verena, a feminist speaker who gives a rousing speech at Mrs. Birdseye's home.  Basil is taken with Verena's femininity, beauty, and charm; Olive is taken with Verena's passion for the feminist movement. Basil also meets Dr. Prance, who lives downstairs from Mrs. Birdseye and who is already known by Olive.  Dr. Prance, who is a lady doctor, will play a small but symbolically significant role in the unfolding story.

Shortly after the event at Mrs. Birdseye's home, Olive becomes Verena's patron and the two young women begin their cohabitation that lasts until the final scene of the book.  Also shortly after the event, Basil begins his seduction of Verena, which also proceeds until the final scene.

I won't tell you the ending of the story, for that would ruin your enjoyment.  However, I will make a few observations.  First of all, it is obvious that Henry James is ambivalent in the extreme about feminism.  He obviously detests the feminist "movement" of the time, but Dr. Prance symbolizes his acceptance of women's role and competence in public life.  Likewise, the author recognizes the good that may motivate feminists - symbolized by the ever-generous, elderly stateswomen of the feminist movement, Mrs. Birdseye.

Drawing back from the story itself to look at the writing, Henry James style is unique.  And uniquely wordy.  It takes him all of 1100 pages to get from point A to point B in the plot.  For Ernest Hemingway, this would have been a short story.  The wordiness detracts from plot development - the plot is simplistic - but it adds to the character development, which is quite rich, and also to the formation of the political ideas that are at the heart of the novel.

I think this is the longest post I've written so far.  I feel that's quite fitting for this novel . I surprised myself by enjoying The Bostonians quite a lot and a lengthy tribute gives the book its due.