The Bostonians by Henry James

The Bostonians  by Henry James

I found this to be a surprising book.  Unusually for James, this book centers around a political movement, feminism.  Also, he portrays a greater spectrum of characters and life than is usual in his stories, which tend to be specific and somewhat isolated in their focus.  It was also surprising to me because the author's attitude toward his main characters seems to shift through the story, so at the beginning his sympathy is with one character while he basically makes fun of another, and then it is just the opposite by the end.  And when the author's feelings seem to shift that way, at least for me, the reader's feelings tend to do the same.  I did enjoy it, possibly even more because it wasn't what I was expecting.  Worth the time but be aware that James's books take a great deal of it!