Henry James

Henry James was not only a prolific novelist but also a prolific letter writer. This edition of 150 previously unpublished letters to four of his female contemporaries reveals James to be a warm, witty, and astute commentator on a world now lost. The James revealed in these engaging letters is a vital, clever, and lively man with an intense interest in affairs of his day. The letters present a delightful picture of Victorian-Edwardian culture, including health cures (Fletcherizing and going to health spas), literary scandals (he feared writer Edith Wharton would be destroyed by her mad husband Teddy), domestic affairs (the marriage market, child rearing, antiquing, decorating, and gardening), and historical events (the Civil War, Queen Victoria's funeral, England's great Coal Strike, the Dreyfus case, and World War I). Susan Gunter has selected and annotated correspondence between James and four women in his social milieu: Alice Howe Gibbens James, wife of William James; Mary Cadwalader Jones, wife of Frederic Rhinelander Jones (New York socialite and Edith Wharton's brother); Mary Frances Prothero, wife of Cambridge academic Sir George Prothero; and Lady Louisa Wolseley, wife of Viscount Garnet Wolseley, commander-in-chief of the British Forces. Of the 10,000 extant letters by James, over two-thirds of them have never been published. The selection presented here is designed to reveal the writer's human side, his humorous and warm views of Anglo-American life over a fifty-year span, as well as his intimate participation in nineteenth-century women's daily lives. Editor Susan Gunter has provided an introduction that offers a helpful historical overview of nineteenth-century women's roles, a biographical register of people mentioned in the letters, a chronology, and brief biographies of the four women correspondents. Readers interested in gender studies, biography, intellectual and cultural history, and literary history and those who enjoyed the recent film versions of James's novels Wings of the Dove, The Portrait of a Lady, and Washington Square will find this book fascinating.

Regarded as one of the key figures of nineteenth century realism, Henry James has become famous for his novels and tales that explore the clash between the Old World Europeans and New World Americans. Using an innovative method of writing from a character’s point of view within a tale, James’ works explore issues related to consciousness and perception, producing his own inimitable ‘impressionist’ style. Delphi Classics is proud to present the complete works of this important master for the first time in publishing history, providing every novel, tale, non-fiction work and bonus material. (Version 10)* Concise introductions to the novels and other texts* All 23 novels – including THE OTHER HOUSE, often missed out of collections* The unfinished novels THE IVORY TOWER and THE SENSE OF THE PAST* The novel THE WHOLE FAMILY, which James collaborated on with 11 other authors* All 112 of the novellas (including THE ASPERN PAPERS and THE TURN OF THE SCREW) and short stories with BOTH chronological and alphabetical contents tables* Includes James' rare plays* The complete travel writing, with many rare works appearing in digital print for the first time* Rare Non-Fiction collections and essays* Features James' three autobiographies, available nowhere else - explore the Great Master's literary life!* Special BONUS critical texts - discover how writers such as Conrad, Wells, Woolf and Stevenson viewed James’ works* Many images relating to James and his work* COMPLETELY UPDATED with revised texts and improvements* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresThe NovelsWATCH AND WARDRODERICK HUDSONTHE AMERICANTHE EUROPEANSCONFIDENCEWASHINGTON SQUARETHE PORTRAIT OF A LADYTHE BOSTONIANSTHE PRINCESS CASAMASSIMATHE REVERBERATORTHE TRAGIC MUSETHE OTHER HOUSETHE SPOILS OF POYNTONWHAT MAISIE KNEWTHE AWKWARD AGETHE SACRED FOUNTTHE WINGS OF THE DOVETHE AMBASSADORSTHE GOLDEN BOWLTHE OUTCRYTHE WHOLE FAMILYTHE IVORY TOWERTHE SENSE OF THE PASTThe TalesLIST OF TALES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF TALES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDERThe PlaysPYRAMUS AND THISBESTILL WATERSA CHANGE OF HEARTDAISY MILLERTENANTSDISENGAGEDTHE ALBUMTHE REPROBATEGUY DOMVILLESUMMERSOFTTHE HIGH BIDTHE OUTCRYThe Travel WritingTRANSATLANTIC SKETCHESPORTRAITS OF PLACESA LITTLE TOUR IN FRANCEENGLISH HOURSTHE AMERICAN SCENEITALIAN HOURSThe Non-FictionFRENCH NOVELISTS AND POETSHAWTHORNEPARTIAL PORTRAITSESSAYS IN LONDON AND ELSEWHEREPICTURE AND TEXTWILLIAM WETMORE STORY AND HIS FRIENDSVIEWS AND REVIEWSNOTES ON NOVELISTSWITHIN THE RIM AND OTHER ESSAYSNOTES AND REVIEWSTHE ART OF THE NOVELThe LettersTHE LETTERS OF HENRY JAMESThe AutobiographiesA SMALL BOY AND OTHERSNOTES OF A SON AND BROTHERTHE MIDDLE YEARSThe CriticismHENRY JAMES — AN APPRECIATION by Joseph ConradHENRY JAMES, JR by William Dean HowellsHENRY JAMES: A CRITICAL STUDY by Ford Madox FordSUSPENDED JUDGMENTS: HENRY JAMES by John Cowper PowysAN EXTRACT FROM ‘THE DECAY OF LYING’ by Oscar WildeOTHER ESSAYS: HENRY JAMES by Virginia WoolfMEMOIRS AND PORTRAITS: AN ESSAY AND LETTER by Robert Louis StevensonUNDERWOODS: POEMS ADDRESSED TO HENRY JAMES by Robert Louis StevensonINTRODUCTION TO THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES by F. W. DupeeOF ART, OF LITERATURE, OF MR. HENRY JAMES by H. G. WellsHENRY JAMES by Arnold Bennett

This extensive collection of autobiographical writings by the author of The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady offers a revelatory self-portrait and an inside glimpse into his famous family In 1911, deeply affected by the death of his brother William the year before, Henry James began working on a book about his early life. As was customary for James in his later years, he dictated his recollections to his secretary Theodora Bosanquet, who recalled how “a straight dive into the past brought to the surface treasure after treasure.” A Small Boy and Others (1913) and the two autobiographical books that followed—Notes of a Son and Brother (1914) and the incomplete, posthumously published The Middle Years—stand with his later novels as one of the enduring triumphs of his final years. Not only did James create one of the singular self-portraits in American literature, he also fashioned a richly detailed account of his renowned family, especially his father, the social philosopher Henry James Sr., his brother William, and his dear cousin Minny Temple, inspiration for the heroines of two of his greatest novels, The Portrait of a Lady and The Wings of the Dove. Rounding out the volume is a selection of eight other personal reminiscences and, as an appendix, his secretary’s insightful and affectionate memoir, “Henry James at Work.” LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

For the first time in 30 years, the Master's complete stories are again available--in a handsome, authoritative collector's edition With this fifth and final volume of The Library of America's historic new edition, Henry James's world-famous stories are again available in their entirety. *Complete Stories 1864-1874* brings together his first 24 published stories, 13 never collected by James. Here are the first explorations of some of James's most significant themes: the force of social convention and the compromises it demands; the complex and often ambiguous encounter between Europe and America; the energies of human passion measured against the rigors of artistic discipline. Encompassing a wide range of subjects, settings, and formal techniques, these stories show the young James exploring contemporary events, as in three stories that treat the effects of the Civil War on civilians, and exhibiting his famous psychological acuity, as in "Guest's Confession," where the ferociously comic portrayal of an arrogant businessman hints at the narcissism and sadism that motivate him. Early examples of James's lifelong fascination with art and artists include "A Landscape Painter," which explores a young painter's distorted attraction to a family living in a desolate coastal town, and "The Madonna of the Future," where an aging artist avoids the inevitable unveiling of his "masterpiece." Adumbrating later triumphs, and compelling in their own right, the stories in this volume reveal an accomplished young talent mastering the art of the short story. ** ### From Library Journal The Library of America adds two more winners to its ever-growing product line. The Faulkner volume includes The Town (1957), The Mansion (1959), and his last novel, The Reivers: A Reminiscence (1962). The James volume is LOA's fifth and final collection of that author's writings, marking the first time in three decades that his complete canon is in print. This volume gathers 24 of his stories, including "Poor Richard," "A Landscape Painter," and "A Passionate Pilgrim." Both volumes contain notes on the text, a chronology of the author's life, and the other signature extras of the series. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. ### About the Author **Henry James** (1843-1916), born in New York City, was the son of noted religious philosopher Henry James, Sr., and brother of eminent psychologist and philosopher William James. He spent his early life in America and studied in Geneva, London and Paris during his adolescence to gain the worldly experience so prized by his father. He lived in Newport, went briefly to Harvard Law School, and in 1864 began to contribute both criticism and tales to magazines. In 1869, and then in 1872-74, he paid visits to Europe and began his first novel, **Roderick Hudson**. Late in 1875 he settled in Paris, where he met Turgenev, Flaubert, and Zola, and wrote **The American** (1877). In December 1876 he moved to London, where two years later he achieved international fame with **Daisy Miller**. Other famous works include **Washington Square** (1880), **The Portrait of a Lady** (1881), **The Princess Casamassima** (1886), **The Aspern Papers** (1888), **The Turn of the Screw** (1898), and three large novels of the new century, **The Wings of the Dove** (1902), **The Ambassadors** (1903) and **The Golden Bowl** (1904). In 1905 he revisited the United States and wrote **The American Scene** (1907). During his career he also wrote many works of criticism and travel. Although old and ailing, he threw himself into war work in 1914, and in 1915, a few months before his death, he became a British subject. In 1916 King George V conferred the Order of Merit on him. He died in London in February 1916.

"The Portrait of a Lady" is the most stunning achievement of Henry James's early period--in the 1860s and '70s when he was transforming himself from a talented young American into a resident of Europe, a citizen of the world, and one of the greatest novelists of modern times. A kind of delight at the success of this transformation informs every page of this masterpiece. Isabel Archer, a beautiful, intelligent, and headstrong American girl newly endowed with wealth and embarked in Europe on a treacherous journey to self-knowledge, is delineated with a magnificence that is at once casual and tense with force and insight. The characters with whom she is entangled--the good man and the evil one, between whom she wavers, and the mysterious witchlike woman with whom she must do battle--are each rendered with a virtuosity that suggests dazzling imaginative powers. And the scene painting--in England and Italy--provides a continuous visual pleasure while always remaining crucial to the larger drama.

Henry James brilliantly combines comedy, tragedy, romance, and melodrama in this tale of a wealthy American businessman in Paris. Determined to marry Claire de Cintré, a scintillating and beautiful aristocrat, Christopher Newman comes up against the machinations of her impoverished but proud family in a dramatic clash between the Old World and the New. A co-production with the BBC, starring Diana Rigg, Matthew Modine, and Brenda Fricker.

<p>Making her debut in London society, Nanda Brookenham is being groomed for the marriage market. Thrust suddenly into the superficial and immoral circle that surrounds her mother, the innocent but independent-minded young woman even finds herself in competition with Mrs Brookenham for the affection of the man she admires. Only an elderly bachelor, Mr Longdon, is immune to this world of greed and scheming, and determines to rescue Nanda from its corrupting influences out of loyalty to the deep love he once felt for her grandmother. In The Awkward Age (1899), Henry James explores the English character, and the clash between old and new money with a light and subtly ironic touch to create a devastating critique of society and its machinations.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Bostonians (The Unabridged Edition)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The Bostonians is a novel by Henry James. This bittersweet tragicomedy centers on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive Chancellor, Ransom's cousin and a Boston feminist; and Verena Tarrant, a pretty, young protégée of Olive's in the feminist movement. The storyline concerns the struggle between Ransom and Olive for Verena's allegiance and affection, though the novel also includes a wide panorama of political activists, newspaper people, and quirky eccentrics. Unlike much of James' work, The Bostonians deals with explicitly political themes: feminism and the general role of women in society. James was at best ambivalent about the feminist movement, and the early chapters harshly satirize Olive and her fellow ideologues. Another theme in the book, much discussed recently, is Olive's possible lesbian attraction to Verena. (The term Boston marriage, apparently first used here by James, came to connote just such an ambiguous co-habiting long-term relationship between two women.) James is not explicit here, partially due to the conventions of the time. But this vagueness may actually enrich the novel because it creates possible ambiguity about Olive's motives. Henry James (1843 – 1916) was an American-British writer who spent most of his writing career in Britain. He is regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism.

The illegitimate and impoverished son of a dressmaker and a nobleman, Hyacinth Robinson has grown up with a strong sense of beauty that heightens his acute sympathy for the inequalities that surround him. Drawn into a secret circle of radical politics he makes a rash vow to commit a violent act of terrorism. But when the Princess Casamassima - beautiful, clever and bored - takes him up and introduces him to her own world of wealth and refinement, Hyacinth is torn. He is horrified by the destruction that would be wreaked by revolution, but still believes he must honour his vow, and finds himself gripped in an agonizing and, ultimately, fatal dilemma. A compelling blend of psychological observation, wit and compassion, The Princess Casamassima (1886) is one of Henry James's most deeply personal novels.

Henry James (1843-1916) was a celebrated American author, who became a British subject in the last year of his life, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language having been thrice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analyzed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. The story centers on a young governess sent to a remote estate to care for two orphans, but quickly becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted and its specters are stalking the children - but are they? And are they even real? And are the children aware? Questions author Gillian Flynn sums perfectly with her observation, "The Turn of the Screw is one of the most chilling ghost stories ever, largely because it is so deliciously elusive. "

### Amazon.com Review The story starts conventionally enough with friends sharing ghost stories 'round the fire on Christmas Eve. One of the guests tells about a governess at a country house plagued by supernatural visitors. But in the hands of Henry James, the master of nuance, this little tale of terror is an exquisite gem of sexual and psychological ambiguity. Only the young governess can see the ghosts; only she suspects that the previous governess and her lover are controlling the two orphaned children (a girl and a boy) for some evil purpose. The household staff don't know what she's talking about, the children are evasive when questioned, and the master of the house (the children's uncle) is absent. Why does the young girl claim not to see a perfectly visible woman standing on the far side of the lake? Are the children being deceptive, or is the governess being paranoid? By leaving the questions unanswered, *The Turn of Screw* generates spine-tingling anxiety in its mesmerized readers. ### Review Novella by Henry James, published serially in Collier's Weekly in 1898 and published in book form later that year. One of the world's most famous ghost stories, the tale is told mostly through the journal of a governess and depicts her struggle to save her two young charges from the demonic influence of the eerie apparitions of two former servants in the household. The story inspired critical debate over the question of the "reality" of the ghosts and of James's intentions. James himself, in his preface to volume XII of The Novels and Tales of Henry James, called the tale a "fable" and said that he did not specify details of the ghosts' evil deeds because he wanted readers to supply their own vision of terror. -- __

Picture and Text is a collection of essays by Henry James on the art of illustration, published in 1893. The essays are brief profiles of the principal illustrators for Harper and Brothers books and magazines, and has been remembered for extensive and perceptive essays on John Singer Sargent and Honoré Daumier. Included with the essays on black-and-white illustration of texts is a discussion in dialogue form about the similar relation between scenery and play in the theater. The American is a novel by Henry James, originally published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly in 1876-77 and then as a book in 1877. The novel is an uneasy combination of social comedy and melodrama concerning the adventures and misadventures of Christopher Newman, an essentially good-hearted but rather gauche American businessman on his first tour of Europe. Newman is looking for a world different from the simple, harsh realities of 19th-century American business. He encounters both the beauty and the ugliness of Europe, and learns not to take either for granted. The core of the novel concerns Newman's courtship of a young widow from an aristocratic Parisian family. In 1868, Christopher Newman, an American businessman, visits Europe on a Grand Tour. Having worked for a living since age ten (interrupted by service in the Union Army during the American Civil War), he has made a large fortune and retired in his thirties, and is now looking to settle down and get married. At the Louvre in Paris he watches a painter named Noémie; he offers to buy the copy she is making, and meets her father, M. Nioche. About the same time a mutual friend introduces Newman to Claire de Cintré, a young widow. Newman hires M. Nioche to teach him French and the two become friendly; Newman, learning that M. Nioche worries about his daughter's future since he is poor, says that he will buy enough paintings from Noémie to give her a respectable dowry. Meeting Newman at the Louvre the next day, though, Noémie frankly tells him that she has no talent and her paintings are worthless. She scorns the men she could marry even with a dowry, and hints that she would prefer a more exciting life. Newman either doesn't understand the hint or ignores it, and he leaves her to her work. He pays a visit to the Bellegarde estate, where he meets Claire's two brothers: the cheerful Valentin and the aloof Marquis de Bellegarde, who coldly rebuffs him. Newman and Valentin become good friends, and eventually he tells Valentin that he wishes to marry Claire; Valentin tells Newman that he has his support but he will find it hard going against the class prejudices of the Marquis and his mother, royalist supporters of the Bourbons. Newman proposes to Claire; after hesitating, because her first husband was abusive, Claire says she will consider it. Newman and Valentin visit the Louvre and find Noémie at work in a gallery. Noémie tells Newman she has finished none of the work she was to do for him, and in irritation she slashes a large red cross over her painting, obliterating it. Afterwards Valentin tells Newman that Noémie is certain to become the mistress of some rich man, though Newman objects that her respectable father would never allow it. Claire's mother tells Newman his "commercial" background makes him unfit, but when he tells her how rich he is, she reluctantly agrees not to oppose him. After some months Claire agrees to marry him, and the Bellegardes have a party in honor of the engagement. Newman hears town gossip that Noémie has become a courtesan; he goes to see M. Nioche, and finds him drinking in misery.

One of the most instantly appealing of James's early masterpieces, Washington Square is a tale of a trapped daughter and domineering father, a quiet tragedy of money and love and innocence betrayed. Catherine Sloper, heiress to a fortune, attracts the attention of a good-looking but penniless young man, Morris Townsend, but her father is convinced that his motives are merely mercenary. He will not consent to the marriage, regardless of the cost to his daughter. Out of this classic confrontation Henry James fashioned one of his most deftly searching shorter fictions, a tale of great depth of meaning and understanding. First published in 1880 but set some forty years earlier in a pre-Civil War New York, the novel reflects ironically on the restricted world in which its heroine is marooned. In his excellent introduction Adrian Poole reflects on the book's gestation and influences, the significance of place, and the insight with which the four principal players are drawn. The book also includes an up-to-date bibliography, illuminating notes, and a discussion of stage and film adaptations of the story. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. One of the most instantly appealing of James's early masterpieces, *Washington Square* is a tale of a trapped daughter and domineering father, a quiet tragedy of money and love and innocence betrayed. Catherine Sloper, heiress to a fortune, attracts the attention of a good-looking but penniless young man, Morris Townsend, but her father is convinced that his motives are merely mercenary. He will not consent to the marriage, regardless of the cost to his daughter. Out of this classic confrontation Henry James fashioned one of his most deftly searching shorter fictions, a tale of great depth of meaning and understanding. First published in 1880 but set some forty years earlier in a pre-Civil War New York, the novel reflects ironically on the restricted world in which its heroine is marooned. In his excellent introduction Adrian Poole reflects on the book's gestation and influences, the significance of place, and the insight with which the four principal players are drawn. The book also includes an up-to-date bibliography, illuminating notes, and a discussion of stage and film adaptations of the story. **About the Series:** For over 100 years **Oxford World's Classics** has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. **

After her parents' bitter divorce, young Maisie Farange finds herself shuttled between her selfish mother and vain father, who value her only as a means for provoking each other. And when both take lovers and remarry, Maisie - solitary, observant and wise beyond her years - is drawn into an increasingly entangled adult world of intrigue and sexual betrayal, until she is finally compelled to choose her own future. Published in 1897 when Henry James was becoming increasingly experimental with narrative technique and fascinated by the idea of the child's-eye view, What Maisie Knew is a subtle, intricate yet devastating portrayal of an innocent adrift in a corrupt society.