The James Family: A Group Biography, Together With Selections from the Writings of Henry James, Senior, William, Henry and Alice James

by F.O. Matthiessen

A profile of the extraordinary nineteenth-century American family recounts their reactions to one another, to contemporary writers and thinkers, and to major issues in American cultural history

Genres: Books About Books

706 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Frank Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing source of information. It has the text of Henry James, Sr.'s unfinished autobiography, about 20 pages of text,but the best way to understand how he thought. There are many other parts of articles and reviews by family members. There are some nice visual portraits, including HJ Sr.'s wife. There are then "portraits" of individuals such as Carlyle, Hawthorne, Whitman, and Howells, developed from writings about and to these people by members of the James family. The other three children besides WJ and HJ are included in some detail. I read a copy that looks like it has been chewed on by a dog, which just added to the effect. Here is a quote from HJ on what it was like to be with WJ: "Whenever one is with William one receives such an immense accession of suggestion and impression that the memory of the episode remains bathed for one in the very liquidity of his extraordinary play of mind." I don't suppose I have much to say to compare to that.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a slog for me. I think it would be of interest to those who (1) understand and enjoy the depths of philosophy and (2) can easily understand 19th century phraseology. Members of the James family wrote in the style of their times, which includes extremely convoluted sentences using clauses within clauses. I still enjoyed the book in its profiles of a family of brilliant thinkers who were witnessing the births of a nation and fields such as psychology. I loved reading about their associations with other famous writers and thinkers. It is a gift to see authors such as Whitman, Flaubert and Balzac as their contemporaries saw them.

[Scrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and fascinating.

The entire family was unbelievably accomplished.
Their great grandfather arrived as a penniless Irish immigrant and founded a dynasty with a lasting impact on many aspects of the US and the world, including the Erie Canal, Albany as the capital of NY, psychology and literature.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always liked William (philosophy) better than Henry (fiction) who seemed too remote. And I was fascinated with Senior, the Swedenborgian. Spent time among the friends -- Holmes, Peirce, James, others of the late New England 19th century.