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Library of America #13
Henry James: Novels 1871–1880
A resourceful and prolific writer of fiction, travel, criticism, and cultural commentary, Henry James is one of the most entertaining of American writers. His first five novels, presented complete in this Library of America volume, are filled with sparkling dialogue, masterfully timed suspense, and the romance of youthful and artistic aspiration. The European-American contrast, which gives a special dimension and sharpness to all of James’s cultural observations, is brilliantly deployed in these early works. And what is additionally appealing about them is an attentiveness, not as frequently found in his other novels, to the American scene in New York and New England.
James’s first novel, Watch and Ward (1871), written when he was only 28, is a Pygmalion-type story in which a proper Bostonian gentleman grows to love and eventually marry the much younger woman whose guardian he is.
Roderick Hudson (1875) is a novel about a headstrong and proud young American sculptor of generous native talent who loses his way among the entanglements and temptations of Italy. Set in Rome, where James was living when he wrote it, the novel describes the studios, society, and excesses of the cosmopolitan artists’ colony there.
The American (1877) was written in Paris and is filled with scenes of Parisian life, the expatriate culture of American tourists, and the closed and protective world behind the barriers of old families and traditions. The confrontations between Old World scheming and New World energy are presented through the efforts of Christopher Newman, a successful, handsome, Western businessman, to marry the beautiful, refined, and tragic Madame de Cintré.
In The Europeans (1878) a pristine, conservative, 1830s New England village is invaded by two visiting cousins, brother and sister, from the European branch of one of the town’s leading families. The comic exchanges between Eugenia, with her aura of exoticism and her morganatic marriage, and her American hosts, make this one of James’s most delightful studies in character.
Confidence (1880), a little-known and charming novel of American expatriates traveling through the great cities and watering-places of Europe, is a light drawing-room comedy about the romantic entanglements among two old friends and the two very different women they encounter.
An immensely engaging introduction to one of the great novelists of our own or any country, this is the first volume in our collection of the complete works of James’s fiction.
James’s first novel, Watch and Ward (1871), written when he was only 28, is a Pygmalion-type story in which a proper Bostonian gentleman grows to love and eventually marry the much younger woman whose guardian he is.
Roderick Hudson (1875) is a novel about a headstrong and proud young American sculptor of generous native talent who loses his way among the entanglements and temptations of Italy. Set in Rome, where James was living when he wrote it, the novel describes the studios, society, and excesses of the cosmopolitan artists’ colony there.
The American (1877) was written in Paris and is filled with scenes of Parisian life, the expatriate culture of American tourists, and the closed and protective world behind the barriers of old families and traditions. The confrontations between Old World scheming and New World energy are presented through the efforts of Christopher Newman, a successful, handsome, Western businessman, to marry the beautiful, refined, and tragic Madame de Cintré.
In The Europeans (1878) a pristine, conservative, 1830s New England village is invaded by two visiting cousins, brother and sister, from the European branch of one of the town’s leading families. The comic exchanges between Eugenia, with her aura of exoticism and her morganatic marriage, and her American hosts, make this one of James’s most delightful studies in character.
Confidence (1880), a little-known and charming novel of American expatriates traveling through the great cities and watering-places of Europe, is a light drawing-room comedy about the romantic entanglements among two old friends and the two very different women they encounter.
An immensely engaging introduction to one of the great novelists of our own or any country, this is the first volume in our collection of the complete works of James’s fiction.
1287 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1880
13 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Henry James
4,552 books3,937 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2019
The amount of pleasure you are likely to derive from this collection of Henry James’s first five novels depends largely on your tolerance for reading about the awkward mating rituals—failing more often than they succeed—among that class of people who seem to have nothing other to do than to travel from one fashionable watering hole to another and to visit each other for tea. These variations on a theme are played over an ostinato of the clash of the New World encountering the Old (and vice versa).
Your enjoyment will also depend on your taste for stately nineteenth-century prose. These novels are not yet in the fully ornate style that James went on to refine. They do however already reflect his sensitivity for the slightest nuances of tone in social intercourse. There are many fine passages of dialogue, interior monologue, description, and the occasional intrusions of an ironically detached narrator.
James’s first novel, Watch and Ward, opens for instance with a virtuoso passage describing the protagonist in a long series of antithetical phrases. To that extent, James is already James. In addition, the constellation of characters is “Jamesian”: the marriageable young woman surrounded by three suitors.
The plot is a variant of the Pygmalion legend. Roger Lawrence, whose failures as a suitor bring him to the point of foreswearing marriage, takes in an orphan girl. Before long, he sets out to mold her into the perfect wife. He succeeds beyond expectation (hence the two rivals for her affections). Kind, loyal, noble Roger wins out over them in the end. How satisfactory this conclusion seems might vary from reader to reader. For me, the ending couldn’t surmount the creepiness in the situation. The best of the book, I felt, was chapter 9, when Nora, after refusing Roger’s proposal, then learning that his benevolence had all been to shape her into his suitable mate, reacts with revulsion and flees to New York. Good for her, I thought. Once she’s there, however, the reality of life as a penniless, unescorted young woman in the city hits home, the two alternative suitors prove unsuitable, and [spoiler alert!] Nora falls into Roger’s arms as if by default.
James half-disowned the novel, waiting seven years before bringing out what had appeared as a serial in book form, by which time he had published his next two novels. He never published it in his adopted home, England, and it was long out of print in the U.S. I doubt this was because of the passages of barely-suppressed eroticism; it may have been that, as James’s skill as a novelist increased, he sensed that the conclusion wasn’t satisfactory.
There’s something of Pygmalion in the second novel, Roderick Hudson, as well. This time, however, the noble benefactor isn’t out to remold a young girl. Instead, he takes a young sculptor under his wing, sponsoring a tour of Europe and a studio so that this raw genius can realize his potential. Here’s the next spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well. But I doubt you suspected it would. Along the way, we’re treated to extended dialogue about the life of an artist between Roderick, the sculptor, and Rowland, the benefactor. That their names share the first initial allows us to fantasize that they can also be seen as two halves of a divided personality — the bourgeois art-lover and the genius artist. It’s interesting—perhaps revealing—that it is the half represented by Rowland, the well-meaning, ineffectual, eternal bachelor who seems more the Henry James avatar in this tale than does the artist, Roderick.
Overshadowing both, however, is Christina Light. Befitting her name, she is so luminescent that she nearly runs away with the book. It’s no surprise that James reprised her character as protagonist in a novel all her own, The Princess Cassamassima.
The third novel, The American, was the one that drew me in the most completely at first. The protagonist is once again an American in Europe, but in this case, mention is made of his conscious break with his earlier life of (seemingly effortless) wealth-creation to sample and profit from European culture. The result is a straightforward confrontation between two disparate worlds — brash, optimistic, energetic and clueless America and prideful, poverty-stricken, aristocratic Europe. The hopes of the American founder on the intransigence of the family of the woman he courts. Somehow the plot seems to founder at that point as well. Nevertheless, there are wonderfully atmospheric passages throughout. The book is also unusual in that Christopher’s “twin,” another American in Paris, whom he doesn’t seem to like particularly, is locked in an unhappy marriage, the first time such a constellation isn’t merely alluded to in a James novel, but depicted.
The Europeans, the fourth novel, is the first one set exclusively in the U.S., ironically, given the title. The brother and sister pair referred to however are Americans by nationality, yet have spent nearly their entire lives overseas. Circumstances force them to seek their fortune in the New World, but the quest is only successful for one of them. For the other, the sister, her “failure” is not so much for lack of opportunity, but rather her recognition that she is out of her element. She returns to the world she knows, even though it means living in reduced circumstances.
The fifth novel, Confidence, returns to Europe for its setting. It’s a mixed bag. Some of the dialogue seems stilted, although the protagonist, Bernard, seems fascinated by it. On the other hand, the words spoken by two of the characters, Blanche and Captain Lovelock, are tours-de-force. Inscribed as monologues, they subtly evoke the interjections that others might contribute to the conversation. While the novel is told from Bernard’s point-of-view, and thus he is the nominal protagonist, this seems to me to be true only on the surface. The center of the book is definitely the strong, tactful (to the point of inscrutable), and insightful Angela Vivian. Angela knows it, too, proclaiming more than once how stupid men are. She and her mother, however, set all to rights, so that at the end we have, unusually for James, not one, but two successful matches.
While none of the novels are perfect, I still give the collection five stars because there is so much delightful reading to be found here.
Your enjoyment will also depend on your taste for stately nineteenth-century prose. These novels are not yet in the fully ornate style that James went on to refine. They do however already reflect his sensitivity for the slightest nuances of tone in social intercourse. There are many fine passages of dialogue, interior monologue, description, and the occasional intrusions of an ironically detached narrator.
James’s first novel, Watch and Ward, opens for instance with a virtuoso passage describing the protagonist in a long series of antithetical phrases. To that extent, James is already James. In addition, the constellation of characters is “Jamesian”: the marriageable young woman surrounded by three suitors.
The plot is a variant of the Pygmalion legend. Roger Lawrence, whose failures as a suitor bring him to the point of foreswearing marriage, takes in an orphan girl. Before long, he sets out to mold her into the perfect wife. He succeeds beyond expectation (hence the two rivals for her affections). Kind, loyal, noble Roger wins out over them in the end. How satisfactory this conclusion seems might vary from reader to reader. For me, the ending couldn’t surmount the creepiness in the situation. The best of the book, I felt, was chapter 9, when Nora, after refusing Roger’s proposal, then learning that his benevolence had all been to shape her into his suitable mate, reacts with revulsion and flees to New York. Good for her, I thought. Once she’s there, however, the reality of life as a penniless, unescorted young woman in the city hits home, the two alternative suitors prove unsuitable, and [spoiler alert!] Nora falls into Roger’s arms as if by default.
James half-disowned the novel, waiting seven years before bringing out what had appeared as a serial in book form, by which time he had published his next two novels. He never published it in his adopted home, England, and it was long out of print in the U.S. I doubt this was because of the passages of barely-suppressed eroticism; it may have been that, as James’s skill as a novelist increased, he sensed that the conclusion wasn’t satisfactory.
There’s something of Pygmalion in the second novel, Roderick Hudson, as well. This time, however, the noble benefactor isn’t out to remold a young girl. Instead, he takes a young sculptor under his wing, sponsoring a tour of Europe and a studio so that this raw genius can realize his potential. Here’s the next spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well. But I doubt you suspected it would. Along the way, we’re treated to extended dialogue about the life of an artist between Roderick, the sculptor, and Rowland, the benefactor. That their names share the first initial allows us to fantasize that they can also be seen as two halves of a divided personality — the bourgeois art-lover and the genius artist. It’s interesting—perhaps revealing—that it is the half represented by Rowland, the well-meaning, ineffectual, eternal bachelor who seems more the Henry James avatar in this tale than does the artist, Roderick.
Overshadowing both, however, is Christina Light. Befitting her name, she is so luminescent that she nearly runs away with the book. It’s no surprise that James reprised her character as protagonist in a novel all her own, The Princess Cassamassima.
The third novel, The American, was the one that drew me in the most completely at first. The protagonist is once again an American in Europe, but in this case, mention is made of his conscious break with his earlier life of (seemingly effortless) wealth-creation to sample and profit from European culture. The result is a straightforward confrontation between two disparate worlds — brash, optimistic, energetic and clueless America and prideful, poverty-stricken, aristocratic Europe. The hopes of the American founder on the intransigence of the family of the woman he courts. Somehow the plot seems to founder at that point as well. Nevertheless, there are wonderfully atmospheric passages throughout. The book is also unusual in that Christopher’s “twin,” another American in Paris, whom he doesn’t seem to like particularly, is locked in an unhappy marriage, the first time such a constellation isn’t merely alluded to in a James novel, but depicted.
The Europeans, the fourth novel, is the first one set exclusively in the U.S., ironically, given the title. The brother and sister pair referred to however are Americans by nationality, yet have spent nearly their entire lives overseas. Circumstances force them to seek their fortune in the New World, but the quest is only successful for one of them. For the other, the sister, her “failure” is not so much for lack of opportunity, but rather her recognition that she is out of her element. She returns to the world she knows, even though it means living in reduced circumstances.
The fifth novel, Confidence, returns to Europe for its setting. It’s a mixed bag. Some of the dialogue seems stilted, although the protagonist, Bernard, seems fascinated by it. On the other hand, the words spoken by two of the characters, Blanche and Captain Lovelock, are tours-de-force. Inscribed as monologues, they subtly evoke the interjections that others might contribute to the conversation. While the novel is told from Bernard’s point-of-view, and thus he is the nominal protagonist, this seems to me to be true only on the surface. The center of the book is definitely the strong, tactful (to the point of inscrutable), and insightful Angela Vivian. Angela knows it, too, proclaiming more than once how stupid men are. She and her mother, however, set all to rights, so that at the end we have, unusually for James, not one, but two successful matches.
While none of the novels are perfect, I still give the collection five stars because there is so much delightful reading to be found here.
April 12, 2014
See my reviews of the individual works in this volume.
One thing about the notes for this volume: This is one of the earliest books published in the Library of America series, and it suffers from the lack of a standardized format and guidelines for the editorial and extra-textual materials included in the volume. The textual notes, rather than giving helpful information to a general reader (such as translations of the many French, Italian, and German phrases that occur in James's work), are mainly concerned with the several textual variants between the serialized versions of the works and James's later revisions for book publication. Such information is good for scholarly readers, but the lack of contextual and other information is a serious problem for the general reader of these works.
One thing about the notes for this volume: This is one of the earliest books published in the Library of America series, and it suffers from the lack of a standardized format and guidelines for the editorial and extra-textual materials included in the volume. The textual notes, rather than giving helpful information to a general reader (such as translations of the many French, Italian, and German phrases that occur in James's work), are mainly concerned with the several textual variants between the serialized versions of the works and James's later revisions for book publication. Such information is good for scholarly readers, but the lack of contextual and other information is a serious problem for the general reader of these works.
July 6, 2022
I reread The Europeans which is written in a much more accessible style than James's late novels. It features familiar characters--an intriguing European baroness and her effervescent brother, an upright American family. This reads like a Shakespearean comedy, something like a Midsummer's Night Dream. The Europeans introduce frisson to this good staid family and shake a few characters out of their rigid routines, all to the good of all.
July 17, 2024
I have no expertise in the literary endeavors of Henry James, much less of 19th century American literature. (I’ve only read Watch and Ward in this volume, but GRs gives no tool to separate the texts in this volume.) I am a bit at sea. I’m not certain as to what genre to place this work. Is it romance? Twenty years into the 21st century, the work feels somewhat alien. The social environment plays stilted at times. Neither of those conditions, however, hold as the result of poor writing. It is more the result of reading a novel which is 145 years old and the subsequent changes that have come about since 1871. For many, this novel would be a slog, slow paced and thickly drawn. Unless one is drawn to dealing with American literary giants in an attempt better to understand American culture, I not sure many would read this novel. All that said, it becomes obvious this is the effort of a young, immense Talent. That, in itself, has its own rewards.
I have now read Roderick Hudson and The American.
I have now read James’s 1878 novel The Europeans.
I have now read Confidence, the final novel in the Library of America collection of James' early novels.
I have now read Roderick Hudson and The American.
I have now read James’s 1878 novel The Europeans.
I have now read Confidence, the final novel in the Library of America collection of James' early novels.
September 6, 2010
Just finished "The American". I loved it! Christopher Newman, a Civil War veteran and self-made millionaire leaves the business arena- of which he had grown tired- behind and embarks on his first trip to Europe, looking to amuse himself. He goes to Paris where he eventually meets a beautiful French countess (and widow) whom he decides to marry. Henry James supposedly wrote "The American" in response to Al. Dumas Fils play, "L'etrangere", in which Dumas portrays Americans as rather crude so, having read that, I was very curious about James' novel. I was not disappointed! What a treat...! Newman, with his disarming honesty and the measured pace at which he moves, is the most lovable character. I recommend it to anyone with a passion for literature.
August 27, 2014
These early novels are Henry James at his most accessible--and, believe it or not, his most comical. Even the first of these novels, "Watch and Ward," which I had never heard of and which James himself was inclined to forget, turned out to be hugely enjoyable, as were the other four. Even in these early years, James was an amazing writer, even if his tongue was often firmly in his cheek.
January 1, 2008
I read The American in this text. It's a fun novel, especially after The Ambassadors, but my heart will always belong to the late work.
February 26, 2016
Watch and Ward - finished 06/28/12
Roderick Hudson - finished 09/25/13
The American - finished 11/06/14
(The Europeans - finished 07/18/08)
Confidence - finished 04/05/15
Roderick Hudson - finished 09/25/13
The American - finished 11/06/14
(The Europeans - finished 07/18/08)
Confidence - finished 04/05/15
August 31, 2010
Thought provoking, easy to digest, good for vocabulary developement!
March 1, 2015
"Watch and Ward"
Review to come
Review to come
September 24, 2021
The Americans*****
Confidence*****
Confidence*****
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews