Henry James

The Wings of the Dove by Henry James - Volume I (of II)

Henry James (1843-1916) is today remembered as the most prolific of American novelists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Undoubtedly the quality of his writing has ensured his name is enshrined in the American literary tradition and of American heritage in general. James however was a committed Anglophile and lived most of his life as an expatriate in Europe. Many of his novels juxtapose the Old World with the New World. Classics such as The Portrait of a Lady, Daisy Miller and The Ambassadors, display the encounter between American and European cultures and mentalities. They highlight the differences between the two worlds through following the experiences of American expatriates in Europe. As a critic James was unafraid to venture into reviews and essays of those other literary giants around him. These together with his short stories and, of course, classic novels, make Henry James an author to be not only admired but read, and read often. Furthermore, James's fiction also transcends this recurring theme to offer sophisticated observations of human relations as well as realistic, social criticism.