American Literature Web Resources: Henry James

Henry James(1843-1916) complied by Angela Davidson, Millikin University

American novelist and, as a naturalized English citizen from 1915, a great figure in the transatlantic culture. His fundamental theme was the innocence and exuberance of the New World in clash with the corruption and wisdom of the Old, as illustrated in such works as Daisy Miller (1879), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Ambassadors (1903).

April 15, 1843, born New York, N.Y., U.S.
-father an important theorist and lecturer, very wealthy family
-older brother the famous American philosopher, William James
-traveled in Europe extensively when young
-lived in Newport and Boston much of early life
1862, Harvard Law School, but mostly read literature
1864, first short story, published anonymously, in New York Continental Monthly
-becomes good friends with William Dean Howells, help begin era of American literary realism
1865, early stories depict the leisurely life of the well-to-do
1869, goes to Europe extensively as an adult
1875, publishes Roderick Hudson
1875, Transatlantic Sketches, collected travel writings
1875-76 lived in Paris
1877, novel, The American
mid-1870s, came to know and be influenced by Turgenev, Flaubert, Zola, de Maupassant
1876, moved to London, associates with Tennyson, Browning, Meredith, Stevenson
1878, Daisy Miller
1881, The Portrait of a Lady
1881, Washington Square
1886, Writes two novels dealing with social reformers and revolutionaries: 
-The Bostonians
-The Princess Casamassina
1890, The Tragic Muse
1890-1895, "Dramatic Years," tries to win success writing for the stage
-1891, The American (the play), met with modest success
-1895, Guy Domville, theatrical failure
Post "Dramatic Years," spends several years trying to reinvent his writing, begins to use alternating "picture" and dramatic scenes, and other writing methods
1895-97, James's old international theme of innocence in a corrupting world, now set in an English setting 
-1897, The Spoils of Poynton
-1898, The Turn of the Screw and In the Cage
-1899, The Awkward Age
Turn of the century; James writes three novels that lead the way for the "20th-Century Novel," known as his "major" phase
-1903, The Ambassadors
-1902, The Wings of the Dove
-1904, The Golden Bowl (his final novel)
1904-1905,Lives in retirement in 18th-century house at Rye in Sussex, England. Does return to U.S. 
1907, The American Scene (poetic volume of observations in America)
Spends three years revising works, "to shore" them up for publication in "New York Edition," published in 24 volumes
-James's edition contains 15 prefaces dealing with his theories of fiction
1915, Receives the Order of Merit from King George V and official British citizen, opposing U.S.'s failure to enter WWI
Feb. 28, 1916, dies in London, Eng. 

James' General Writing Style and Reputation:
Henry James is considered a very prolific writer, authoring many novels, short stories, and essays on a variety of topics. His topics are diverse and all encompassing. For James, nothing is to be excluded from his realm of discussion. His overall regions of writing stretch from the United States to Europe. James has gained a reputation as "a master of character portrayal." He frequently writes in a "stream of consciousness" method, namely in his fictitious pieces. James is considered to be a realistic fiction writer for the most part. However, he also has been known to write a number of quite intriguing ghost tales taking the psychological aspects of ambiguity to new limits. 

Henry James Links:
URL: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap5/james.html-PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide
URL: http://www.litgothic.com/Authors/j.html#james -Lit. Gothic Site
URL: http://www.unc.edu/home/pinaula/james_bio.htm -Shirley Cong
University of North Carolina
URL: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/henry_james_review/ -Johns Hopkins University 
Press online site
URL: http://britannica.com -Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Works Cited:
Cong, Shirley. "Henry James: A Brief Biography." University of North Carolina Research Guide. http://www.unc.edu/home/pinaula/james_bio.htm. (January 26, 2001.)
"Henry James." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1999 Ed.
"Henry James." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Online. http://britannica.com. (January 28, 2001). 
"Henry James." LitGothic. http://www.litgothic.com/Authors/j.html#james. (January 25, 2001). 
Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 5: Late Nineteenth Century - Henry James." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. URL:http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap5/james.html. (January 25, 2001).

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