Henry James
In this lighthearted comedic novel from author Henry James, the august Proberts clan finds itself thrust into the unwelcome glare of the spotlight when tabloid newspaper The Reverberator publishes some of the family's dirty laundry. When the identity of the person who leaked the news is revealed, all hell breaks loose. Will they ever be able to overlook this grievous lapse of decorum and restore peace in the family?
One of Henry James' specialties is the longish short story that delves into philosophical questions via detailed character studies, and Eugene Pickering is a perfect example of this. In it, James compares and contrasts two archetypes: a bookish scholar who has remained largely sheltered for most of his life and a streetwise "doer" who is deeply engaged with the world around him. Which of these approaches represents the best way to live?
...11) Embarrassments
Though American literary master Henry James was an ardent proponent of realistic story elements that readers could relate to, many of his works also deal with the question of perception and how our senses and beliefs can influence the way we see the world. It's a running theme in the four short stories collected in James' Embarrassments.
12) The Outcry
14) The Pupil
The Moreen family is a loathsome crew of greedy, dishonorable, self-serving twits—with the notable exception of one brilliant, earnest eleven-year-old son, Morgan. When the Moreens secure the services of a young tutor, Pemberton, to guide Morgan's studies (with no intention of ever paying him, of course), the two develop a deep and lasting friendship. Will Pemberton be able to save Morgan from the influence of his family before it's too late?
...15) The Jolly Corner
This finely crafted novella from fiction master Henry James combines several themes from James' body of work: the clash of cultures between Europe and America, an uncanny encounter with a doppelganger, and a pervasive sense of unease and ambiguity. After living abroad for decades, American Spencer Brydon returns to his native New York to take care of some business dealings, but he soon succumbs to an obsessive preoccupation with his past life.
16) The Chaperon
Rose Tramore, the quietly persistent young woman at the center of Henry James' novella The Chaperon, is every bit as memorable a literary creation as James' Daisy Miller, though she is that character's opposite in many ways. In the aftermath of her mother's bitter divorce, Rose helps her shattered family pick up the pieces and carry on.
American author Henry James often grappled with weighty topics in his work, and the story The Madonna of the Future—longer than a typical short story, but shorter than a novella—is no exception. Framed as an anecdote related among a group of men engaged in post-dinner chitchat, the story deals with an artist whose outsize ambitions and perfectionism have frozen him in a kind of creative paralysis. It's a profoundly thought-provoking
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