Winterbourne

An American in his late twenties, Winterbourne is long-time resident of Geneva who meets the title character on a visit to Vevey. The story is told from his point of view. The beginning of the novel paints him as a man who enjoys the company of women and hints that he is in a relationship with an older woman back in Geneva. It is not surprising, then, that he becomes entranced by the young, vivacious and very pretty Daisy Miller.

Winterbourne is attracted to Daisy's socially iconoclastic behaviors. She repeatedly subverts every ideal of proper feminine behavior, from her forwardness with men, to the frankness and assertiveness with which she addresses her mother, to her utter lack of regard for popular opinion. Deciphering Daisy's actions becomes a kind of game for Winterbourne, one that plays out to the very end of the novel. Even after her death, he...