Novels 1896–1899: The Other House / The Spoils of Poynton / What Maisie Knew / The Awkward Age

by Henry James, Myra Jehlen (Editor)

This Library of America volume collects four novels written by Henry James in the period immediately following his unsuccessful five-year-long attempt to establish himself as a playwright on the London stage. Hoping to convert his “infinite little loss” into “infinite little gain,” James returned to the novelistic examination of English society with a new appreciation for what he called the “divine principle of the Scenario,” “a key that, working in the same general way fits the complicated chambers of both the dramatic and the narrative lock.”

His continued interest in dramatic form is demonstrated in The Other House (1896), which was derived from the scenario for a three-act play. Set in two neighboring houses and told mostly through dialogue, the novel explores the violent and tragic consequences of jealousy and frustrated passion. In The Spoils of Poynton (1897), one of the most tightly constructed of James’s late novels, a house and its exquisite antique furnishings and artwork become the source of a protracted struggle involving the proud and imperious Mrs. Gereth, her amiable son, Owen, his philistine fiancée, Mona Brigstock, and the sensitive Fleda Vetch, whose moral judgment is tested by her conflicting allegiances.

What Maisie Knew (1897) explores with perception and sensitivity the effect upon a young girl of her parents’ bitter divorce and their subsequent remarriages. In writing the novel James chose as his point of view what he described as “the consciousness, the dim, sweet, scared, wondering, clinging perception of the child.” The Awkward Age (1899) examines the complicated relations among the members of a sophisticated London social circle almost entirely through dialogue as it depicts the shifting marital prospects of a young woman poised on the verge of adult life. Both of these novels insightfully explore the ambiguity of childhood “innocence” amid adult struggles over money, power, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Literature, Novels, American, Collections, 19th Century

1035 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1899

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

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of _The Other House_: Not one of James's better efforts (and it is not a mystery to me that it has not been reprinted in many decades, perhaps since its first appearance). This is an adaptation of a play that James could not get staged; from the evidence it was probably a pretty mediocre bit of drama as well, with the "sensationalist" bit of the plot arriving far too late (and to little purpose, really) to make the book interesting. Not really worth the trouble of reading unless you're curious.

For the other three novels in this volume, please see my individual reviews of the works.

[Lawrence A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 3 stars are for "What Maisie Knew." Typical Jamesian writing, with respect to which I am of two minds. Sometimes, it's entrancing. At other times, it is torture. James's use of language in this book was more accessible than, say, "The Golden Bowl," but that's not saying much. The plot and scene construction were above average for a James novel. As for the characters, I did "love" the bad parents---true, timeless role models :-) The whole book reminds me of a saying from the 1960s, as modified for the occasion---never trust anyone over 3.

Two and a half stars for The Awkward Age. Somewhat impenetrable because the characters rarely state clearly what they actually intend to say or what they actually mean. I feel sorry for poor Nanda, whose future prospects of a happy and fulfilling adult life seemed questionable at the end of the novel, at least to me.

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first novel in this volume--"The Other House"--is downright weird and didn't quite work for me, but the other three are gems, each in its own way. James is not everybody's cup of tea, but if you've enjoyed any of his earlier novels, these three kick it up a notch and set the stage for his final works, which are some of the greatest in American literature.

[Imlac · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Maisie Knew 11/10/25

This is one of the earliest of James's works in his later, final manner. It was first published in 1897 and revised for the New York edition of 1908.

I started with the New York version, which obviously represents James' final intentions. However, in Chapter XX there came a series of sentences I simply could not fully parse, read them as intently and repeatedly as I did. I looked at the first edition reproduced in the Library of America series, and found relief. So I continued with this version, and am glad I did.

The raves of the literary critics are now comprehensible. This is a perfectly formed work, profound and satisfying. I'm going to read it again (maybe in the New York edition) to be able more clearly to see all the art with which is book is composed, and also to experience again the world of James' consciousness as directed at the reality he tried to capture.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many characters and twists and turns! Hard for me to follow but I'm glad I read these stories. He's a classic. I will attempt to read more of his books.