Henry James

A chilling collection of Henry James's finest ghost stories, now in a wonderful Clothbound Classics editionIn 'The Turn of the Screw', one of the most famous ghost stories of all time, a governess becomes obsessed with the belief that malevolent forces are stalking the children in her care. But are the children really in danger - and if so, from whom? The novella is accompanied here by several more of the very best of Henry James' short stories, including 'The Jolly Corner' and 'The Third Person', all of which explore human psychology through ghostly visitations and the uncanny.

Daisy Miller is a novella by Henry James that first appeared in Cornhill Magazine in June-July 1878, and in book form the following year. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Winterbourne, a sophisticated compatriot of hers. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates when they meet in Switzerland and Italy. Annie "Daisy" Miller and Frederick Winterbourne first meet in Vevey, Switzerland, in a garden of the grand hotel, 2] where Winterbourne is allegedly vacationing from his studies (an attachment to an older lady is rumoured). They are introduced by Randolph Miller, Daisy's nine-year-old brother. Randolph considers their hometown of Schenectady, New York, to be absolutely superior to all of Europe. Daisy, however, is absolutely delighted with the continent, especially the high society she wishes to enter. Winterbourne is at first confused by her attitude, and though greatly impressed by her beauty, he soon determines that she is nothing more than a young flirt. He continues his pursuit of Daisy in spite of the disapproval of his aunt, Mrs. Costello, who spurns any family with so close a relationship to their courier as the Millers have with their Eugenio. She also thinks Daisy is a shameless girl for agreeing to visit the Ch teau de Chillon with Winterbourne after they have known each other for only half an hour. The next day, the two travel to Ch teau de Chillon and although Winterbourne had paid the janitor for privacy, Daisy is not quite impressed. Winterbourne then informs Daisy that he must go to Geneva the next day. Daisy feels disappointment and chaffs him, eventually asking him to visit her in Rome later that year. In Rome, Winterbourne and Daisy meet unexpectedly in the parlor of Mrs. Walker, an American expatriate, whose moral values have adapted to those of Italian society. Rumors about Daisy meeting with young Italian gentlemen make her socially exceptionable under these criteria. Winterbourne learns of Daisy's increasing intimacy with a young Italian of questionable society, Giovanelli, as well as the growing scandal caused by the pair's behaviour. Daisy is undeterred by the open disapproval of the other Americans in Rome, and her mother seems quite unaware of the underlying tensions. Winterbourne and Mrs. Walker attempt to persuade Daisy to separate from Giovanelli, but she refuses.

This book "" The Awkward Age "" has been considered important throughout the human history. It has been out of print for decades. So that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.

The book "" Four Meetings "" has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.

The book "" The Author of Beltraffio "" has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.

The English Review first published "The Jolly Corner," a short story by Henry James, in December 1908. One of Henry James' most well-known ghost tales, "The Jolly Corner," tells the adventures of Spencer Brydon as he prowls the now-vacant New York house where he was raised. He has a "feeling more intricate than had ever found itself consistent with rationality." After living overseas for 35 years, Spencer Brydon returns to New York. He discovers that he is skilled at managing a refurbishment of his childhood home. He starts to ponder what kind of person he might have been if he had led a more relaxed life in the United States. The Jolly Corner was first published by The English Review in 1908. Henry James describes Spencer Brydon's tour of his now-vacant childhood home in New York. He encounters a "feeling more sophisticated than had ever found itself consistent with sanity." He referred to his childhood home as "The Jolly Corner." Brydon begins to believe that he alters ego, the ghost of the man he might have once been, is haunting the estate. The theme of unlived lives permeates the entire narrative.

Henry James investigates cultural transformations, political changes and art and religion, as well as the essence of travel itself in these articles he wrote about his travels throughout Italy between 1872 and 1909. The countries explored in the book are Rome, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, and Tuscany. James's fervent admiration of the unrivalled artistic attractiveness of Venice, the vibrancy of Rome, and the boisterous, sensual appeal of Naples is everywhere. What's unique about this travel writing is that James does not gloss over the shortcomings of a place to present them as perfect. He brings forth both the ugly aspects of a place, for example the poor conditions of Venice while also bringing forth all the beauty as a sort of compensation. He heavily focuses on Venice and Rome but James does not neglect the rest of the country making sure that his essays are extensive and provides the readers with a clear picture of the conditions of a place. However, the essays on Rome feels the most personal to James as he includes a lot of his personal experiences in them like his horseback riding and walks through the different neighborhoods.

The Spoils of Poynton is a short novel which was first published in 1897 that addresses the issues of friendship, greed, the inherent strength found in familial connections and the nature of love. Mrs. Gereth is a willful widow who lives on her Poynton estate. Poynton is loaded up with "treasures" (the "spoils" of Poynton) that Mrs. Gereth and her late husband gathered, including paintings, tapestries, old chine, furnishings, object d'arts, etc. As per a senseless and unreasonable English law, everything in Poynton will be transferred to her child, Owen after the passing away of Mrs. Gereth's husband. Owen can do however he pleases with his mom. He can ask her to leave the house if he wishes, there is no legal obligation to stop him. Mrs. Gereth's companion, Fleda Vetch, is confronted with a dilemma. She adores Owen and he evidently cherishes her, yet she thinks it would be inappropriate for her to steal him away from Mona. The only way Fleda can get Owen to herself is if Mona decides to break off their relation with him. Owen is convinced that it his obligation to complete his marriage with Mona, despite the fact that on occasion he seems to prefer Fleda.

British-American author Henry James wrote the masterpiece Roderick Hudson and it did exceptionally well given that it was his debut novel. Before James R. Osgood & Company printed it as a multivolume compilation, it first appeared in a serialized form in 1875, published over the course of several issues of The Atlantic Monthly. The narrative is a bildungsroman that charts the hero's maturation as well as the emotional, psychological, and moral development he experiences along the way. The titular figure is a sculptor whose talent wins him the support of a wealthy benefactor, altering both men's lives and futures for all time. For Henry James, rather than the plot of the story, the main focus is always on the psychoanalysis of the characters and the inspection of their motivations. This book especially has a lot which can be dissected and compared. The comparison of master and craftsman is very apparent. The gifted and brilliant Roderick is put head to head with a hardworking simpleton. The brotherhood between Roderick and Rowland Mallet is unwavering so much so, that often they seem like opposing halves of a whole.

Between 1885 and 1886, Sir Henry James' work ''The Bostonians'' was first published as a serial in The Century Magazine before being turned into a book in 1886. The unusual triangle at the center of this bittersweet tragicomedy is formed by Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi, Olive Chancellor, a feminist from Boston, and Verena Tarrant, Olive's lovely, young apprentice in the feminist movement. Additionally, there are numerous political activists, journalists, and strange eccentrics in the book. The conflict that Ransom and Olive have over Verena's allegiance and dedication is at the heart of the story. Basil Ransom, a lawyer and Civil War veteran, sparks a romantic interest in the main character. He convinces her to move away from her home and pursue education in the feminist movement. The Bostonians deal with openly political topics, in contrast to much of James' writing. Due in part to prevailing customs at the time, Olive's potential lesbian desire for Verena is not made clear. A colorful supporting ensemble of would-be reformers, cynical journalists, and hangers-on surrounds the main characters. Verena Tarrant is a stunning young woman who, despite being passive and undecided, is an enthralling orator for women's rights, and Olive Chancellor.

Published by Macmillan Company and William Heinemann in June 1896, Embarrassments written by Henry James is a collection of novellas which deal with a certain type of embarrassment in different ways. The book consists of four stories viz. "The Figure in the Carpet", "Glasses", "The Next Time", and "The Way It Came". The Figure in the Carpet was first published in Cosmopolis in January/February 1896 and it follows the story of an unnamed narrator as he obsesses over an author and his works. He goes to extreme lengths to figure out the secret meaning hidden in his works. In the second story, Glasses, which first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1896, we see an orphan woman whose only motive in life is to get a husband, and she would stop at nothing to realize that goal. The Next Time was first featured in The Yellow Book issue #6, in July 1895. It is the shortest story out of all and majorly focuses on the moral that the quality of writing does not ensure popularity and vice versa. Lastly, The Wait It Came, which was first published in Chapman's Magazine of Fiction (London) in May 1896 can be enjoyed for its romantic woes with a touch of the supernatural.

Henry James creates a harrowing analysis of society and its workings in The Awkward Age (1899) by exploring the English character and the conflict between new and old money along with a subtle satirical touch. James wrote The Awkward Age around the same time as The Turn of the Screw (1898) and What Maisie Knew (1896), both of which explore how the actions of the adults around young children threaten their innocence. In the beginning it seems like James' main concern in the novel is to resolve the vulnerability of Nanda so that she can thrive in an environment of questionable adult influences. But as the story progresses we see that James focuses on unimportant details like how much one character knows about another or what flimsy prior relationship can arise to disgrace someone. Nanda's parents and their acquaintances are such negative influences that we are led to assume she needs protection at the beginning of the book; nevertheless, by the end, she has developed the same cunning and deceitful tendencies as them. The Awkward Age is one of the most well-rounded and in some ways even the most intimate out of all James' masterpieces.

Not even a single piece of work created by Henry James is more remarkably exploratory than The Sacred Fount. As the book was written, at the pinnacle of James' artistic prowess, shortly after two major successes and not long before The Ambassadors, it did not have any problem catching the audience's attention. The Sacred Fount (1901) opens with a scene of a weekend party at the Newmarch, the incomparable English country house. Here James guides the reader down a peculiar garden path. The Sacred Fount -- the only work of writing by James which utilizes a first person narrator -- leaves us in the grasp of a compulsive novelist, who identifies disturbing changes in his colleagues. A lady known for her grace has lost her poise, a dull man turns appealing; a friend is unexpectedly aged, a plain lady shines brightly. Whenever one improves, another is seen to be suffering. With "plunges of insight," the storyteller follows his kindred visitors as the weekend progresses, eagerly attempting to figure out what he comes to accept are actual exchanges of the force of life.

Due to his extensive and frequent traveling in Europe and America, Henry James was well known for his travel literature. Portrait of places (1883) written by Henry James can be seen as a travel book, reimagined. It is a record of the author's travel between the years 1876 and 1882 where he visited Italy, England, and France. These stories are so beautifully written that they are a perfect companion for your armchair travels or to guide you through Europe. The book starts in Venice and the itinerary takes us through Paris, Rheims, Normandy, and the Pyrenees while the narrator is traveling from Italy to France and in England we experience the beauty of Warwickshire and London. James' skillfully paints word-portraits that vividly conjure and bring forth the lesser known castles, alleys, monuments, events and festivals of Europe. The book also contains sketches of Newport; Niagara; Quebec; and Saratoga, scenic locales found in North America. The book successfully captures the historical and cultural beauty found by the author on both sides of the Atlantic while traveling for over a period of six years.

Henry James' story ''In the Cage'' was initially made available as a book in 1898. The protagonist of this lengthy tale is an anonymous London telegraphist. As she waits in the "cage" at the post office, she deciphers hints about the private lives of her clients from the frequently cryptic telegrams they send her. The telegraphist, who is perceptive and knowledgeable, eventually learns more information than she may have wanted to. An unnamed telegraphist works in a post office in a fashionable London neighborhood. She becomes "engaged" with Captain Everard and Lady Bradeen, a couple of lovers. By remembering certain code numbers in the telegrams, she manages to reassure them that their secrets are safe. The protagonist of in the Cage can be seen as a version of the artist, constructing a complex finished work from the slightest hints. Her knack for deducing details of her customers' lives from their brief, cryptic telegrams is similar in some ways to James' ability to invent stories from the tiniest suggestions. Her function was to dole out stamps and postal orders, weigh letters, answer stupid questions and give difficult change.

Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady was first made available as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and also in Macmillan's Magazine in the years 1880-1881 before being printed as a book in that same year. It is quite possibly one of James' most well-known long novels and is hailed by critics as one of his best works to date. The Portrait of Lady Volume II starts off in Rome where Isabel is seen rejecting Lord Warburton in the opening chapters while also being chased by Gilbert Osmond, the American expatriate she meets in the first volume of the novel. The book takes place in Europe, primarily in England and Italy, like the majority of James's works. The sequel majorly focuses on Isabel's life after her marriage to Gilbert Osmond and explores her relationship with Osmond's apparent daughter from his first marriage, Pansy. The novel gives the readers an open ending where they are free to interpret whether Isabel chooses to stay by Osmond's side in her loveless and abusive marriage or whether she rescues Pansy and leaves Osmond along with her. Isabel's tale of love and betrayal still touches audiences today because of its extreme poignancy.

Eugene Pickering is a prime example of this kind of longish short tale, one of Henry James' specialties, which explores philosophical issues through in-depth character profiles. James compares and contrasts two archetypes in it: a bookish scholar who has spent the majority of his life mainly sheltered and a streetwise "doer" who is keenly aware of his surroundings. Eugene Pickering was written by Henry James in various chapters which signifies an interesting message. Same as his other novels like The Turn of the Screw, The Portrait of a Lady, Daisy Miller, The Ambassadors, and The Wings of the Dove, in this novel, Henry James has put the final fact of this novel to his audience and readers. Several years ago, before gambling was outlawed, it was in Homburg. The entire world gathered to listen to the orchestra on the terrace of the Kursaal and the esplanade below it. In the game rooms surrounding the tables, there were just as many people. The Prayer from Der Freischutz was being played by the orchestra, but Weber's beautiful melody simply made my memories even hazier.

Henry James' novel Madame de Mauves was first presented in The Galaxy Magazine in 1874. The story is mainly written from the perspective of a male friend of the wife and revolves around the unhappy marriage of a meticulous American wife and a far-from-scrupulous French husband. The story illustrates James' passionate interest in the "international subject,", especially at the beginning of his career. The smoothly delivered tale, one of the longest fictions he had ever tried, demonstrates how quickly James was developing his style and technique. The Comte Richard de Mauves' wife Euphemia is married to an unscrupulous and dissipated man who married his wife for her money alone. The Comte wishes her to take a lover so that he may pursue his own affair and tries to sublimate his love for her into friendship. Madame de Mauves has a very high opinion of Longmore and wants him to leave her alone. Longmore agonizes over whether or not to continue his daily visits. She asks him to break off contact, and that he does so simply because it is the honorable thing to do.

''Notes Of A Son And Brother'' is an autobiography written by Sir Henry James in 1914. The book details James' formative years, including his initial attempts at fiction writing, "the obscure hurt" that prevented him from serving in the Civil War, and the early death of his cherished cousin Minny Temple from illness. James starts using family letters in this second chapter of his autobiography, particularly those from his father Henry James Sr., and brother William. According to academic research, James added his own edits to the letters. James continued writing while earning his first fourteen dollars, which he excitedly examined. He started publishing critical essays and short tales in publications including The Nation, The North American Review, and The Atlantic Monthly. William, James' older brother, was torn between art and science before deciding on the latter, but it would be many years before he achieved the famed philosopher and psychologist status. James paints a vivid picture of his somewhat eccentric father, who pushed his kids "be something" rather than settle for "simple doing," in his book. Before having a stroke in December 1915 and passing away three months later.