Book Review: Sequel

Nearly 140 years on, John Banville has revisited Henry James' A Portrait of a Lady, to take up the story from where James left off. I recall the reviews being mixed, at best, and didn't think to take it up, although Henry James remains one of my all-time favorite authors (The Golden Bowl, in particular). Banville's sequel is pretty damn good, as it turns out, although it churns a bit, here and there, rehashing points already sufficiently covered, and it is a bit languid in getting to its point, but that's o.k., too, in the end, as nobody could not accuse James himself similarly. I'd recommend it to other James enthusiasts, if only because seeing Isabel Archer/Osmond released into the future her uncle and cousin meant to watch her enjoy and excel in satisfies the sense we had of her as well, not to mention the exquisite revenge (too strong perhaps) on Gilbert Osmand and Madame Merle.