The Golden BowlThe Golden Bowl
Score Classic
What it's about
Adam Verver, an immensely rich American art collector living in Europe, and his devoted daughter Maggie are inseparable. Maggie marries an impoverished Italian prince; then Adam marries Maggie's friend Charlotte. What Maggie doesn't know is that the prince and Charlotte were once lovers. When she discovers the truth, through a flawed golden bowl, she must decide how to save her marriage without destroying her father.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was Henry James's last completed novel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Wings of the Dove
The Age of Innocence
The House of MirthGood to know
It's James at his most difficult, with long, intricate sentences. It's very slow.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Henry James
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1984
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Quick answers
Is The Golden Bowl worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was Henry James's last completed novel. It ranks #2,075 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Golden Bowl about?
Adam Verver, an immensely rich American art collector living in Europe, and his devoted daughter Maggie are inseparable. Maggie marries an impoverished Italian prince; then Adam marries Maggie's friend Charlotte. What Maggie doesn't know is that the prince and Charlotte were once lovers. When she discovers the truth, through a flawed golden bowl, she must decide how to save her marriage without destroying her father.
How long does it take to read The Golden Bowl?
About 15 hours (591 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Golden Bowl?
If you liked it, try The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton or The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.