Mrs. Osmond (Banville) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
I recommend Mrs. Osmond more for curiosity’s sake than for the sake of a satisfying read—though it can certainly be that as well. But the novel will please mostly Henry James fans eager to learn of Isabel Archer’s fate. It will also please those fans who appreciate James’s—and now Banville’s—superb mastery of the English language. MORE …
Molly Lundquist - LitLovers


A fine act of literary ventriloquism and imagination.... [T]he narrative might best be described as a series of encounters between her and various characters from the original.... Cleverly, Banville has each of these meetings both propel his narrative forward and, looking backwards, add layers of intricacy to James’s work; each of Banville’s characters satisfyingly convincing in their new guises. As such, I suspect it’s those readers already familiar with The Portrait of a Lady who will enjoy Mrs Osmond the most.
Lucy Sholes - Independent (UK)


At times [Mrs. Osmond] has the glacial pace of the original, endless psychological dithering punctuated by brilliant flashes of melodrama … even over-the-top, language.… [T]here are also quite a few surprises, a tribute to Banville’s ingenuity…. [Isabel] uses her wealth and the power of inheritance to effect a neat revenge. Mrs Osmond is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a superb pastiche. But I found irritating the very mannerisms that try my patience in James.
Edmund White - Guardian (UK)


(Starred review.) [A] delightful tour de force.… Banville incorporates a wonderful sense of irony; the result is a novel that succeeds both as an unofficial sequel and as a bold, thoroughly satisfying standalone.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Banville's brilliant 17th novel uncannily evokes James's limpid prose, deft plotting, and finely limned characterization to offer a credible sequel to one of the greatest novels ever written. Banville's genius is unquestionable. —John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Library Journal


(Starred review.) Fans of Henry will find the writing persuasively Jamesian…. A sequel that honors James and his singular heroine while showing Banville to be both an uncanny mimic and, as always, a captivating writer.
Kirkus Reviews