&quot;The Portrait of a Lady&quot; by Henry James was first published as a complete work in 1881. &nbsp;Despite being an American writer, Henry James frequently traveled to and wrote about Europe. James is known for being part of the literary realism movement, which means he sought to capture life as realistically as possible in his writing rather than romanticizing or exaggerating it.&nbsp;<br /><br />&quot;The Portrait of a Lady&quot; follows a young woman who journeys to Europe.&nbsp;She inherits a large amount of money and subsequently becomes the victim of Machiavellian scheming by two American expatriates.&nbsp;<br /><br />Henry James wrote the novel when he was only 37, but it is considered by scholars to be one of his best and it is regarded as the masterpiece of James&#39;s early period.