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A Bundle of Letters
Written in the form of epistles, the humour and wit of this work is irresistible. Letters from different characters who belong to different nationalities are included in the work. Each character has its own individuality and is drawn in detail. The story monopolizes the attention from the very beginning.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1879
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About the author
Henry James
4,645 books3,970 followersHenry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 23, 2025
This is a well developed short story that has all the makings of a full blown James novel of this period. The characters are writing letters to people outside of the action. It’s very entertaining and touches on themes James used in some of his most popular novels.
The characters are thrown together in an upscale French boarding house. The plot is revealed in letters that they write in which they reveal themselves and have backstabbing things to say about the others. It is funny, unlike some of James’ drawn out later works.
The Americans are portrayed as generally naive but usually eager to learn, a Frenchman related to the boarding house family is sophisticated and has predatory instincts, an Englishwoman is decadent in clothing but too aristocratic for the Americans to really understand and there is a lone German who is suggestive of the type that led to WWI. For the most part they are blissfully unaware of what the others are thinking. It’s very entertaining and now I’d like to read more of James’ short works.
The characters are thrown together in an upscale French boarding house. The plot is revealed in letters that they write in which they reveal themselves and have backstabbing things to say about the others. It is funny, unlike some of James’ drawn out later works.
The Americans are portrayed as generally naive but usually eager to learn, a Frenchman related to the boarding house family is sophisticated and has predatory instincts, an Englishwoman is decadent in clothing but too aristocratic for the Americans to really understand and there is a lone German who is suggestive of the type that led to WWI. For the most part they are blissfully unaware of what the others are thinking. It’s very entertaining and now I’d like to read more of James’ short works.
September 10, 2016
Written in the Epistolary style, James gives us an account of a Paris boarding house in 1878, and it's varied inmates which include American, English, German, and of course, French boarders. Their assorted letters to friends and family give us a comic, almost tongue in cheek, view of their interactions and personal perceptions of one another. Typical Henry James; you either "get" him or you don't. Somehow I do without having a clue why.
May 5, 2022
The international theme was great.
June 30, 2021
داستان کوتاهی شامل 9 نامه از اشخاص ساکن پانسیونی در پاریس به زبانی ساده و گیرا
December 17, 2021
Real review: 7.1/10
A pleasant tale told through the lens of realism. It is not so much a story. Instead, it is a time capsule distilled into fragmented slices of self-interest. The prose is decent, and the narrator of each letter has a distinct voice, which can often be tricky for a writer to pull off.
I would recommend approaching this work as one would a fictional documentary. You are looking more for style and what the creator is saying about the ideologies/opinions of an era.
A pleasant tale told through the lens of realism. It is not so much a story. Instead, it is a time capsule distilled into fragmented slices of self-interest. The prose is decent, and the narrator of each letter has a distinct voice, which can often be tricky for a writer to pull off.
I would recommend approaching this work as one would a fictional documentary. You are looking more for style and what the creator is saying about the ideologies/opinions of an era.
June 10, 2019
In this short story by Henry James is a group of people that actually talked about each other on their letters. The plot is necessarily good. This story is packed with unique form which in literary terms called as epistolary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
A great short story consisted of many different POVs by people each from different nationality.
December 16, 2012
Several characters, mainly Amercians, settled in Paris write letters to their relatives/good friends.
Shows the 'typical' attitudes of major 'types' of Americans: the rich and condescending New Yorker, the would-be from Boston who is more interested in aesthetics than in anything else, the modern feminist from Maine, the rational German scholar, the French women-specialist, ...
Very nice to read!
Shows the 'typical' attitudes of major 'types' of Americans: the rich and condescending New Yorker, the would-be from Boston who is more interested in aesthetics than in anything else, the modern feminist from Maine, the rational German scholar, the French women-specialist, ...
Very nice to read!
July 13, 2011
Even though I had already read and disliked "A Portrait of a Lady", I decided to give James another try. Disappointing. There is absolutely no plot, nothing happens, no comedy, no romance. I only finished it since I wanted to grow my read pile and reach my goal, and it is a really short epistolary novel
January 3, 2009
Really short, but well written. I look forward to readong more of his bks.
August 8, 2012
Loved it. I found the different view points and impressions of those in the group hilarious.
October 2, 2012
I thought this gave a very good overview of the life and times in the 1900s. Some people may not appreciate the style but I found it very interesting to say the least.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews