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In the work of renowned American fiction writer Henry James, romantic relationships are often complicated by issues of finances and social standing. Those problems definitely surface in the tale "The Marriages," in which a widow and widower's shot at love is destroyed beyond repair by a vengeful, paranoid daughter.
In this tale from the master of subtle psychological insight, American writer Henry James, the narrator tells a story about a pair of star-crossed lovers who never find a way to make their ill-fated relationship work — and who punish everyone around them by constantly harping on the failed romance.
First published in 1886, The Bostonians is one of James' wittiest social satires. It begins with the arrival in Boston of Basil Ransom, in search of a career. The book turns on the relationship between Ransom, a conservative civil war veteran, his feminist cousin Olive Chancellor, and Verena Tarrant, a newcomer to their circle whose affections are sought by both Olive and Basil.
James' ambivalence towards the reformist movement is made
...Young Londoners Kate and Merton are engaged, but have no money to marry on. When the wealthy but terminally ill American heiress Milly arrives in London, Kate schemes for a way to inherit her fortune. But when Kate achieves all she had hoped for, she finds that the money and the gentle, beautiful Milly have changed everything.
Henry James' short story The Diary of a Man of Fifty is a moving and thought-provoking meditation on aging and coming to terms with one's past. The narrator pays a return visit to Italy, where he spent some time many years before, and revisits memories of an ultimately doomed love affair, some painful and some enriching.
The Portrait of a Lady is perhaps Henry James' greatest novel. It tells the story of Isabel Archer, a young American heiress who "affronts her destiny". Dealing with one of James' recurrent themes, the American in Europe, and the differences between the two cultures, The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of the conspiracy to separate Isabel from her fortune and the value of autonomy and accountability.
7) In the Cage
Long recognized as one of the most refined and insightful American writers of the nineteenth century, Henry James turns his keen powers of perception and observation to the case of a London telegraph operator in the novella In the Cage. Over time, the operator becomes adept at inferring personal details from customers' messages and develops an unhealthy interest in the quotidian lives of those she serves. A masterpiece of psychological subtlety,
...A down-on-his-luck writer makes an impulsive decision to buy a secondhand desk, and in its nooks and crannies, he finds a cache of secret documents that contain explosive secrets that could besmirch the legacy of a prominent politician. Will he leverage his findings to make an easy buck?
The Golden Bowl is an intense, involved study of marriage, adultery and family ties. The central characters are a man and his daughter and James delves into their consciousness to explore the complexity of their relationship to each other and their respective spouses. The novel is often considered the completion of the "major phase" of James' career.
Washington Square by Henry James is the story of the gentle, dull Catherine Sloper who falls for the ambivalent Morris Townsend, who her father believes is a fortune hunter. When Catherine's father refuses to countenance the marriage and threatens to disinherit her if she proceeds, the dutiful Catherine is unable to choose between her father and the man of her dreams. Often compared to Austen for the precision and elegance of the prose Washington
...The novel The Spoils of Poynton represents a major turning point in the stylistic development of American literary master Henry James, as he eased into the tense, taut drawing-room dramas that would come to characterize his later work. The story centers on the struggle between a widow and her son as they decide what to do with the family collection of antiques, but under the surface, it's a brilliant look at family dynamics during a period
...13) The Chaperon
Rose Tramore, the quietly persistent young woman at the center of Henry James' novella The Chaperon, is every bit as memorable a literary creation as James' Daisy Miller, though she is that character's opposite in many ways. In the aftermath of her mother's bitter divorce, Rose helps her shattered family pick up the pieces and carry on.
14) Roderick Hudson
In this beautifully wrought novel from master of American fiction Henry James, a talented young sculptor is taken under the wing of a rich and powerful patron who attempts to help foster the full emergence of the sculptor's creative prowess by setting him up in grand style in Italy. However, plans rarely go off as conceived, and before long, the sculptor Roderick finds himself unable to work and in love with the wrong woman.
The Aspern Papers is a novella set in Venice. A young man travels to the city and takes lodgings with an old woman—the former lover of the dead American poet Aspern. The man believes the old woman still has some letters from Aspern and he ingratiates himself with her niece in an attempt to find them. Suspense builds around the motives and actions of James' masterfully drawn characters.
16) The Reverberator
In this lighthearted comedic novel from author Henry James, the august Proberts clan finds itself thrust into the unwelcome glare of the spotlight when tabloid newspaper The Reverberator publishes some of the family's dirty laundry. When the identity of the person who leaked the news is revealed, all hell breaks loose. Will they ever be able to overlook this grievous lapse of decorum and restore peace in the family?
17) What Maisie Knew
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.
A beautiful American girl, Daisy Miller, is pursued by the sophisticated Winterbourne, who moves in fairly conservative circles. Their courtship is frowned upon by the other Americans they meet in Switzerland and Italy because Daisy is too vivacious and flirtatious and neither belongs to, nor follows the rules of, their society. The novella is a comment on American and European attitudes towards each other and on social and cultural prejudice.
19) The American
The American by renowned novelist Henry James offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the differences—and, though less pronounced—the similarities between American culture and European culture. Regarded as one of the most important American writers of his era, James' deft juxtaposition of these two cultural traditions—set against the backdrop of a subtly nuanced love story—will delight fans of literary fiction.
20) The Pupil
The Moreen family is a loathsome crew of greedy, dishonorable, self-serving twits—with the notable exception of one brilliant, earnest eleven-year-old son, Morgan. When the Moreens secure the services of a young tutor, Pemberton, to guide Morgan's studies (with no intention of ever paying him, of course), the two develop a deep and lasting friendship. Will Pemberton be able to save Morgan from the influence of his family before it's too late?
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