Theory of Fiction: Henry James

by Henry James, James E. Miller Jr. (Editor / Introduction)

Comprised of more than 250 selections from Henry James's stories about writers, his critical and speculative essays, his Notebooks , Prefaces, and letters, this collection brings together for the first time, in a single, systematic volume, all the important passages in James's work which have implications for or ideas about his theory of fiction. The result is the most comprehensive, exhaustive, and innovative volume of fictional theory ever published; in many ways it is the consummation of James's contribution to letters. In a masterful introductory essay, James E. Miller Jr., presents James's theory of fiction in outline; he also contributes brief introductions to each of the seventeen chapters, summarizing the major points. Abundant guides direct the reader to subjects and sources.

367 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1971

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

[Newton Priors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impossible to overpraise this collection. For any serious, working writer (novelist), a source of new ideas, bracing challenges, and vital energy. For the non-writer, the book's glories are hidden: they reveal themselves only as a writer struggles with specific problems. Then, suddenly, instead of abstract and theoretical, James' discussion becomes concrete and practical. — Although perhaps the best way to encounter much of the material is in the collection, *The Art of the Novel* (James' collected prefaces to the NY Edition of his works), Miller (the editor) does a commendable job of reorganizing that material (and of adding to it) and making it more usable. The Index of Critical Terms is very handy.

[Aristaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

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