is eventually broken in a scene that may not be fully effective. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Golden Bowl 32nd on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Some critics believe that The Golden Bowl was an inspiration for Iris Murdoch, a known fan of James, and, in particular, her novel A Severed Head. The title is taken from Ecclesiastes 12: "Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity." Film, TV or theatrical adaptations In 1972, the BBC produced a six-hour televised version that was highly praised, with a screenplay by Jack Pulman, Gayle Hunnicutt as Charlotte, Barry Morse as Adam Verver, Jill Townsend as Maggie, Daniel Massey as the Prince, and Cyril Cusack as Bob Assingham, ingeniously presented as the narrator, commenting on the development of the story very much in the style of Henry James. This version, presented on Masterpiece Theatre, was more faithful to the book than the later Merchant-Ivory film in the U.S. In 2000, The Golden Bowl was filmed by Merchant Ivory Productions, directed by James Ivory, and starred Uma Thurman, Nick Nolte, Kate Beckinsale and Jeremy Northam. In some ways Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's adaptation differs from James's novel. In the book, Charlotte is a calculating, amoral character who manipulates and manages those around her with a glance or a smile; however, in the movie, Charlotte appears to suffer from some mental disorder, exhibiting symptoms of paranoia and obsessive love. Critical editions Henry James, The Golden Bowl (Wordsworth Classics, 2000), ed. Nicola Bradbury, References Bibliography The Novels of Henry James by Edward Wagenknecht (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1983) The Novels of Henry James by Oscar Cargill (New York: Macmillan Co., 1961) Gibson, Suzie. "Love's Negative Dialectic in Henry James's 'The Golden Bowl'", Philosophy and Literature, 39.1, 1–14, 2015. External links 1904 American novels 1904 British novels Novels by Henry James American novels adapted into films British novels adapted into films British novels adapted into television shows