Guy Domville: a play in three acts

by Henry James, Leon Edel (Editor)

With comments by Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Arnold Bennett ;

preceded by biographical chapters: Henry James, the dramatic years, by Leon Edel.

Genres: Plays

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Henry 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."

Reviews

[John Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

In early 21st-century America, it's amusing that someone would take up playwriting with the hope of making money at it. But in late 19th-century England that didn't seem such a bad idea, and Henry James tried it. The effort did pay off for him, but not in terms of commercial success, or even artistic accomplishment within his plays. Only when he returned to fiction did his experience in drama begin to bear fruit, leading to technical innovations in his late writing.

This play, one of a handful that he wrote, is the only one I've read. Little of it has stuck with me, the most notable thing being that it includes a drinking scene--not your usual Jamesian device, and about all that needs to be said. (A review of an imaginary production that I wrote for a class in the 70s may still exist, but if so it's in storage.)

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to say now to rank this effort. On the one hand, you could rate the play itself, which is two stars. The play is not strong, but Henry James writes so well you almost don't mind. Seeing the play acted out on stage might be tedious, though. I thought it was a shame that Henry James didn't try again after this play, because it shows so much promise of what he could do with more experience.

However, this book isn't just the play itself. It's a biographical account of how the failure of Guy Domville affected Henry James, why he tried to write plays, and ends with several notable critical reviews of the play from opening night.

Overall, the book is very well-done, and Leon Edel's mini-biography is interesting and enjoyable. And the whole thing only takes about 5 hours to read.

[Lukas Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun fact: James was so nervous the night of the premiere, he went to see an Oscar Wilde play instead. He then returned to the theater and was brought out by manager, only to hear boos among the applause. Needless to say, it was the end of his dramatic career, but also spurred on his amazing late run of novels.