Henry James
Inspired by a story Henry James heard at a dinner party, Washington Square tells how the rakish but idle Morris Townsend tries to win the heart of heiress Catherine Sloper against the objections of her father. Precise and understated, the book endures as a matchless...
The Turn of the Screw is s ghostly Gothic tale by Henry James. A masterpiece in ambivalence and the uncanny, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young woman who is hired as governess to two seemingly innocent children in an isolated country house. As the tale progresses she begins to see the ghost of her dead predecessor. Or does she? The story is so ambivalent and eerie, such a psychological thriller, that few can agree on
...Though American literary master Henry James was an ardent proponent of realistic story elements that readers could relate to, many of his works also deal with the question of perception and how our senses and beliefs can influence the way we see the world. It's a running theme in the four short stories collected in James' Embarrassments.
Tortured artist and brilliant conversationalist Frank Saltram has made a splash among the fashionable set in Wimbledon, and all of the society matrons are vying for his favor and lining up to offer their guest rooms to him. But is this self-styled philosopher all that he pretends to be?
Henry James believed that the short novel was the perfect literary form, and his achievements here brilliantly display his mastery of it. Noted literary critic Philip Rahv has collected ten of James's most important short novels to make one distinguished volume. Accompanied by Rahv's informative commentary and keen insights, this collection contains the following...
6) Daisy Miller
Get acquainted with the work of one of the most accomplished practitioners of literary realism, Henry James, in this collection of tales. In "Flickerbridge," an American recuperating in the home of an English relative falls in love with the unfamiliar cultural setting; In "Mrs. Medwin," a social mover and shaker uses what some might see as a liability to her advantage.
Maisie's parents go through an acrimonious divorce when she is very young, and the court decrees that she will travel between them, spending time with each. They do not hesitate to use her in their war against each other, and she is neglected and abandoned by them as they each remarry and then take further lovers. The story follows her to maturity, when she is able to decide her own fate.
One of Henry James' specialties is the longish short story that delves into philosophical questions via detailed character studies, and Eugene Pickering is a perfect example of this. In it, James compares and contrasts two archetypes: a bookish scholar who has remained largely sheltered for most of his life and a streetwise "doer" who is deeply engaged with the world around him. Which of these approaches represents the best way to live?
...10) Pandora
Many of Henry James' most acclaimed works of fiction are set at the intersection between European and American culture. The novella Pandora takes its tension from the differences between the Old World and the New—as well as the surprising similarities between the two realms. Free-spirited American Pandora Day crosses paths with the reserved Count Vogelstein, and the two learn a great deal about their respective countries and worldviews.
...11) The Ambassadors
One of Henry James' greatest novels, The Ambassadors is a dark comedy from 1903. Lewis Lambert Strether travels to Europe to find his widowed fiancée's son, planning to bring him back to the family business, but once there Strether meets with unexpected complications. Taken by perceived contrasts between European and American culture, The Ambassadors plays out a theme of liberation, from a stifled emotional life to a more abundant
...13) The Awkward Age
Adolescence and the transition to adulthood are difficult periods for most people, but the stakes are even higher when you're a well-born young woman at the center of a complex and morally suspect social circle. That's the dilemma facing young Nanda Brookenham in Henry James' The Awkward Age, a dialogue-driven novel that some critics rank among the writer's most accomplished literary feats.
14) The Real Thing
This perfectly wrought little tale of a painter struggling with his muse brings together a number of the most important themes that renowned American writer Henry James returned to again and again in his work—the difficulty of artistic expression, the meaning of truth, and conflict between socioeconomic classes.
In the almost-novella-length short story The Death of the Lion, literary giant Henry James pokes sardonic fun at the vagaries of literary fame. The author at the center of the tale, one Neil Paraday, is gushingly praised by the newspapers and journals—but very few of his admirers seem to have actually read his work. It's a thought-provoking look at the celebrity culture of the turn of the twentieth century.
In this masterful tale from Henry James, an American student living in Switzerland serves as the lens through which James explores one of his most frequently revisited themes: the various ways that Americans react to European culture. In this story, the student encounters two different American families and contrasts their diverging views of continental life.
20) Italian Hours
Part of a remarkably talented family, Henry James is regarded as one of the most important American writers of the nineteenth century. Although he is best known for novels such as The Wings of the Dove and The Portrait of a Lady, James was also a renowned essayist. This volume collects a series of essays about James' extensive travels in Italy, which were written and revised by the author over a period of 40 years.