Originally published serially from 1885 to 1886 in The Century Magazine (and in book form in 1886), The Bostonians follows a love triangle between three vastly different people: Basil Ransom, a conservative; Olive Chancellor, Basil's cousin and a feminist; and Verena Tarrant, Olive's protégée. The three are very different people, which inevitably leads to conflict surrounding their relationship and surrounding the political environment they find themselves in.
In the book, James dealt with a number of incredibly complex themes, including feminism and the role women play in society. James' feelings about feminism were complex. Throughout much of the first section of the book, James pokes fun of Olive and feminism in general. However, James also stealthily discussed something few others were brave enough to discuss: Olive and Verana's potential lesbian relationship (called a "Boston Marriage" in the vernacular of the time).
Still, The Bostonians is still widely regarded as one of the most prescient and intense works of satire of the women's rights movement to be released in history. At once a biting satire of the women's rights movement and a commentary on idealism in democracy - particularly a democracy that was very recently threatened by a ferocious civil war.
