Henry James

Full text. A promising young writer meets an older man whose works have inspired him, as well as a highly intelligent and attractive young woman, at a gathering in a country house. Anxious to learn all he can from the older writer, the young man seeks his views not only about art, but also the way in which a serious artist should live. By the end of the work, he has indeed learned his lessons, albeit not quite those that he was expecting. It's not giving anything away to say that this work bears some resemblance to James's later novel, The Ambassadors, which in many ways engages the same questions.

In Louisa Pallant tell us the adventures of two women, mother and daughter, who travel through Europe in search of a good husband, of course he has to be rich. A single mature American and his nephew coincide with them on this European tour. Ms. Louisa Pallant is an old lady in love with the oldest of them, and he will tell the whole story from a very innocent point of view, we almost know more about what is going to happen, who does not give much importance, but Ms. Pallant is a woman cold and very intelligent, who knows what she wants.

Full text. An American steamer bound for London and the story is centered on a small group of acquaintances on board, primarily on a 30 year old American woman intending to marry a man she doesn't want. Her flirtatious fling with a young man on the ship, perhaps a last chance to escape her situation, brings on gossip and ridicule and has a disastrous ending. James, as in much of his writing, contrasts the new America and the old Europe and the changes and differences in culture and moral tradition.

Full text. What on earth is a girl to do when London society has convicted her mother of a dreadful sin and has ostracized her? If blood is thicker than water, and the daughter remains loyal to her erring parent, how far will affect her own standing in society (and most important, of course) in the marriage market that is controlled by that society? This is the problem facing Rose Tramore and it will take all her charm -- and perseverance -- to solve it.

Full text. The delightful short story of a young man's dilemma when he meets a woman he used to love, and finds her married to a man of a vile, dishonest nature. Concerned that her own purity has been spoilt, he tests her to see whether she is only shielding her husband out of love, and is shocked to find that she will go even to the lengths of sacrificing an innocent victim rather than admitting her husband's true character.

The Tragic Muse is a novel by Henry James. Nick Dormer wants to pursue a career in painting instead of his family's traditional role in British politics. This upsets his family and particularly his lady friend, Julia Dallow, a beautiful but demanding woman deeply involved in political campaigns. But Nick's old Oxford friend Gabriel Nash encourages him to follow his desire to become an artist. Despite his misgivings Nick goes through an election campaign, supported by Julia, and wins a seat in Parliament. He proposes marriage to Julia but they agree to wait.

Confidence is a novel by Henry James, first published in 1879. This light and somewhat awkward comedy centers on artist Bernard Longueville, scientist Gordon Wright, and the sometimes inscrutable heroine, Angela Vivian. The plot rambles through various romantic entanglements before reaching an uncomplicated, but still believable happy ending.

The Wings of the Dove is a 1902 novel by Henry James. This novel tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her effect on the people around her. Some of these people befriend Milly with honourable motives, while others are more self-interested.

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Mr. and Mrs. Edward Brookenham host an effete, rather corrupt social circle. They are the parents of worthless Harold and sweet but knowledgeable Nanda. Mr. Longdon attends one of their social functions and is amazed at how much Nanda resembles her grandmother, his long-ago love who married another man. Vanderbank, a young civil servant with little money, admires both Mrs. Brookenham and Nanda. Mrs. Brook seems to want an affair with "Van" but he appears more interested in Nanda. Mr. Longdon promises him a dowry if he marries Nanda.

Full text.''The private life'' expresses what was probably one of James's most deeply held beliefs about art in all its forms: that there is not necessarily any link between the personality of the creator and the content of the created. This tale is often classified as one of James's ghost stories. But its dramatic weakness also contributes to making the 'two' Clare Vawdreys and the 'disappearing' Mellifont both unconvincing, and actually unnecessary. It would be perfectly reasonable and persuasive to have a talented writer who does not shine socially, and the sort of pompous stuffed shirt we take Mellifont to be who is reduced to nothing when he is alone.

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A Bundle of Letters is a comic short story by Henry James, originally published in The Parisian magazine in 1878. Several residents of a Paris boarding-house write letters to their friends and family back home; their primary subject is their reaction to each other. The main character is Miranda Hope, an angular but likeable Yankee Miss from Bangor, Maine who, quite bravely for a young woman of that era, is traveling in Europe alone. In her letters, she chatters to her mother about seeing the sights in Europe but doesn't like the Old World's treatment of its women, "and that is a point, you know, on which I feel very strongly."

Designed specifically for students of literature and bibliophiles. We are pleased to bring you the complete and unabridged text of this classic book. Because this is the original work by the author, you may find slight differences in spellings and punctuation than those you

"The Coxon Fund" is an 1894 short story by Henry James. Frank Saltram is a man who apparently has a towering intellect, but one that manifests itself only in sparkling table-talk. He has a real and power gift to delight with his conversation, particularly when intoxicated, but other than conversation he produces nothing. Saltram also recognises no obligations or duties, is ungrateful and utterly unreliable, and is apparently prone to immoral acts. He lives off others, particularly the Mulvilles, who, convinced of Saltram's genius and genuinely enjoying his talk, host him for months at a time. In the opinion of the unnamed narrator, Saltram is not a deliberate conman; he simply suffers from "a want of dignity".

An International Episode is a humorous short story. Four years ago, in 1874, two young Englishmen visting the US meet a pair of charming women who return the visit the following year in London... The collisions between the old world of Europe and the new of America. Both very young female American protagonists attract flawed admirers.

Full text. The Outcry, Henry James's final novel, is an effervescent comedy of money and manners. Breckenridge Bender, a very rich American with a distinct resemblance to J. P. Morgan, arrives in England with the purpose of acquiring some very great art; he is directed to Dedborough, the estate of the debt-ridden Lord Theign. But plutocrat and aristocrat come into unexpected conflict when a young connoisseur, out to establish his own reputation, declares a prize painting from the lord's collection to be in fact an even rarer, and pricier, work than had been thought. A popular success in its own day, but long unavailable since and now almost unknown, The Outcry is one of the most surprising and amusing of James's works. Here he explores questions of privilege and initiative, repute and honor, high art and base calculation, revisiting some of his favorite themes with a deft and winning touch.

"The Real Thing" is a short story by Henry James. This story, often read as a parable, plays with the reality-illusion dichotomy that fascinated James, especially in the later stages of his career. For the illustrator who narrates the story, the genuine article proves all too useless for his commercial purposes. The story portrays the unfortunate victims of a society in which reality and representation are closely intertwined in ways that make art a difficult project to untangle the two.

"The Jolly Corner" is a short story by Henry James. One of James' most noted ghost stories. Brydon begins to believe that his alter ego, the ghost of the man he might have been, is haunting the "jolly corner," his nickname for the old family house. After a harrowing night of pursuit in the house, Brydon finally confronts the ghost, who advances on him and overpowers him with "a rage of personality before which his own collapsed." Brydon eventually awakens with his head pillowed on Alice Staverton's lap.

Full text. This delightful short story ostensibly concerns a young literary critics who greatly admirs the writer Hugh Vereker. A meeting with Vereker, however, shows him that he - and all other critics - have in fact missed the great point of Verreker's work, and the critic (and his editor) thereupon devote themselves to trying to unravel the mystery. James's story, however, almost certainly has an autobiographical side to it, perhaps itself criticizing those critics who couldn't see, or wouldn't see, the figures lost in the carpet of his own writing.