{"product_id":"confidence-james","title":"Confidence by Henry James","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eBy Henry James\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConfidence is a novel by Henry James  first published as a serial in Scribner's Monthly in 1879 and then as a book later the same year. This light and somewhat awkward comedy centers on artist Bernard Longueville  scientist Gordon Wright  and the sometimes inscrutable heroine  Angela Vivian. The plot rambles through various romantic entanglements before reaching an uncomplicated  but still believable happy ending.While sketching in Siena  Bernard Longueville meets Angela Vivian and her mother. Later  Bernard's friend and self-proclaimed \"mad\" scientist Gordon Wright calls Longueville to Baden-Baden to pass judgment on whether he should marry Angela. Bernard recommends against it  based on his belief that Angela is something of a mysterious coquette. So Gordon marries the lightweight (in both senses) Blanche Evers. After a couple years Longueville again meets Angela at a French beach resort and realizes he loves her. They get engaged  and Angela tells Bernard that she had refused Gordon when he proposed to her. Eventually Angela manages to reconcile Gordon and Blanche  who were becoming estranged due to a supposed extramarital affair Blanche had. Everybody lives happily ever after. may well be futile to look for themes in this account of rather entangled romances. The book only seems to say that people can always deceive themselves and life can't be regulated on \"scientific\" principles  which falls on the shoulders of Gordon as a main character. Some have suggested that the contrast between scientist Wright and artist Longueville reflects the difference between William and Henry James. That's always a possibility  of course  but the book makes little of the comparison  instead preferring to make new connections between the two heroes. Angela's interventions at the book's conclusion  where she tidies up everybody's lives and makes things just perfect  some critics deem unbelievable.","brand":"Lushena Books","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":52798778933528,"sku":"9798890967671","price":37.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"HARDCOVER","offer_id":52798778966296,"sku":"9798890967770","price":55.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0787\/8203\/8296\/files\/9798890967671.jpg?v=1790924352","url":"https:\/\/lushenabooksinc.com\/products\/confidence-james","provider":"Lushena","version":"1.0","type":"link"}