The Outcry

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21969

Title

The Outcry

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in the opulent Dedborough Place, Henry James's *The Outcry* explores the collision of high society and financial scandal. Centered on Lord Theign's desperate attempt to sell a priceless Mantovano painting to save his family's reputation, the novel satirizes the art world's obsession with value and public opinion. With sharp dialogue and psychological depth, it offers a witty, sophisticated critique of the aristocracy and the corrupting influence of money.

Summary up to 500 words

In Henry James's *The Outcry*, the narrative unfolds within the opulent, historic setting of Dedborough Place, where Lord Theign faces a precarious crisis threatening his family's standing. A damaging newspaper article suggests he is selling a rare Mantovano painting to settle debts, a move that would confirm rumors of bankruptcy and moral decay. To counter this scandal, Lord Theign and his daughter, Lady Grace, devise an elaborate scheme to manufacture a massive public outcry against the sale. Their strategy relies on driving the artwork's price so astronomically high that no private buyer can afford it, thereby saving the painting and their honor. They enlist the aid of Mr. Breckenridge Bender, a wealthy American art collector known for his gullibility and insatiable love of publicity. Bender is wired to meet Lord Theign, who leaves a large, unsigned cheque on his desk as bait, intending to manipulate Bender into bidding aggressively. The plot thickens as Lady Grace and her friend Hugh Crimble navigate the social minefields of the drawing room, managing the arrival of the Prince and Bender. The tension builds as the characters maneuver to control the narrative, turning a potential scandal into a spectacle. The story culminates in a dramatic confrontation involving the torn cheque and the arrival of the Prince, leaving the fate of the painting and the family's reputation hanging in the balance. James masterfully uses the setting and the characters' interactions to expose the vanity and artificiality of the upper class, where reputation is currency and truth is secondary to public perception. The novel serves as a sharp critique of a society obsessed with appearances, where even the most noble intentions are entangled in the complex web of social maneuvering and the desperate need to maintain a facade of prosperity.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21969.epub.noimages

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Categories

• Fiction
• Art