It's been years since I have read Henry James, and I probably should re-read those three works (but Portrait of a Lady is huge). I want to read "Washington Square", "The Ambassadors", "What Maisie Knew", etc. So I thought I would start with The Altar of the Dead, a short story. This story was a bit verbose, it could have all been said in half the pages. I found the middle part of the book repetitive and confusing. Having said that, I thought the ending is what made story.