DAISY MILLER

This early work by James, one of his first "American abroad" stories, was his first real success. Telling the story of an American girl, the eponymous character, confronted with Europe's mores and customs, James concisely draws powerful characters confronting their preconceptions. In this reading by Bobbie Frohman, however, Daisy's naïveté becomes exaggerated by the ditzy voice the narrator gives her, undermining the latent sophistication of this young woman. The reading, in general, is fine and comfortable, though the changes in intonation often make it sound as though the narrator is trying too hard, but James comes through well. This short work may be one of the best introductions to a type of story that James would repeat over the year. K.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]