A provocative and astute portrayal of a world caught between old values and the lure of progress

Basil Ransom, an attractive young Mississippi lawyer, is visiting his cousin Olive, a wealthy feminist, in Boston when he accompanies her to a meeting on the subject of women’s emancipation. One of the speakers is Verena Tarrant, and although he disapproves of all she claims to stand for, Basil is immediately captivated by her and sets about "reforming" her with his traditional views. But Olive has already made Verena her protégée, and soon a battle is under way for exclusive possession of her heart and mind.

Richard Lansdown’s introduction discusses The Bostonians as James’s most successful political work and his funniest novel. This edition contains extracts from Tocqueville and from James’s "The American Scene", which illuminate the novel’s social context. This edition also includes notes and a bibliography.

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