For more than half a century Henry James was pre-eminently a novelists" novelist, and the reading public made little of his major works. His subsequent influence in fiction has been so pervasive, however, that his own style and methods are no longer a serious stumbling block, and a large body of readers is now "discovering" Henry James"s writing as a source of intellectual pleasure and human interest. The Portrait of a Lady, "the first of his mature masterpieces," is probably the most suitable book that could be chosen to introduce him into The World"s Classics, for it has the characteristic Jamesian precision in analysis and presentation without the more teasing involvements of his final period.Keywords: Intellectual Pleasure Henry James Portrait Of A Lady Reading Public Suitable Book Final Period Half A Century Stumbling Block Masterpieces Novelist Pervasive