After rereading The Golden Bowl, I reread Louis Auchincloss’s excellent collection of essays, Reading Henry James (1975). I read Auchincloss’s lucid essays on Henry James when I was working on my dissertation. There are thousands of essays on Henry James, but Auchincloss’s essays contain the reflections of a working writer. If you’re looking for an overview of all of Henry James’s work, Reading Henry James is the best book on the subject that I’ve ever read.
The Wall Street Journal Book Club has Colm Toibin moderating this month’s activities surrounding The Golden Bowl so I decided to read Toibin’s book of essays on Henry James: All a Novelist Needs (2010). Toibin’s book lacks the comprehensive quality of Auchincloss’s, but Toibin has plenty of insights into Henry James and his work. Clearly, here is another working author who has pondered the style and oeuvre of James deeply. If you’re a fan of Henry James, I recommend both books. GRADE: A (for both)
Reading Henry James: TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Henry James: The Man and Artist
The Notebooks
The Early Stories
Roderick Hudson and The American
Washington Square and “The Aspern Papers”
The International Situation: The Portrait of a Lady
The Social Novels: The Princess Casamassima and The Bostonians
The Artist and Writer in James’s Fiction: The Tragic Muse
The Ghost Stories
The Theater Years
The Revulsion from Sex: The Awkward Age and What Maisie Knew
The Spoils of Poynton: Prelude to the Major Phase
The “Villains” of the Major Phase
The Virtuous Attachment: The Ambassadors
James’s Literary Use of His American Tour
The Memoirs
The Critic
Index
All a Novelist Needs: Colm Toibin on Henry James: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments / p. vii
• Introduction / Griffin, Susan M. / p. ix
• Henry James in Ireland: A Footnote / p. 1
• The Haunting of Lamb House / p. 18
• A More Elaborate Web: Becoming Henry James / p. 24
• Pure Evil: “The Turn of the Screw” / p. 38
• The Lessons of the Master / p. 45
• Henry James’s New York / p. 49
• A Death, a Book, an Apartment: The Portrait of a Lady / p. 72
• Reflective Biography / p. 80
• A Bundle of Letters / p. 89
• All a Novelist Needs / p. 107
• The Later Jameses / p. 113
• Afterword: Silence / p. 128
• Index / p. 143
I can imagine Auchincloss would do a good job with him. His writing is always lucid and straight forward too. Will look for it.
Patti, I read over a dozen books on Henry James for my chapter on James in my dissertation. Auchincloss’s READING HENRY JAMES was by far the most insightful and interesting of the bunch.
Great choices, George! I’d also strongly recommend Colm Toibin’s THE MASTER, a fictionalized account of Henry James’s life. He does a great job of showing how small events carried the seeds for great novelistic blossoms years, sometimes decades, later.
Deb, I have Colm Toibin’s THE MASTER on my Read Real Soon pile. David Lodge also wrote a novel about Henry James that I plan to read this Summer, too.
I agree on the Auchincloss. I read it in 1976 when I was reading James’s letters. I’ll have to look for the Toibin.
After your previous Auchincloss review I got a couple of his other books from the library, THE MAN BEHIND THE BOOK and THE COLLECTED STORIES. The library books are starting to overwhelm the shelves!
Jeff, I have both THE MAN BEHIND THE BOOK and THE COLLECTED STORIES. But I have no time to read them until this Spring Semester ends. Next week, I’ll have a 100 research papers to correct. Then a week of reviewing for the FINAL EXAMs. Then giving the FINAL EXAMs, correcting them, and turning FINAL GRADES for about 150 students in to the Registrar’s Office. By the end of May I should be in full Vacation mode.
Looking like Henry James Week here at GKOIB. Though I am unlikely to read these books, I’m enjoying the reviews and comments.
Rick, I consider Henry James a brilliant writer. If you haven’t read WASHINGTON SQUARE you’re in for a treat.
I’ve been meaning to read that Lodge book too, as I’ve enjoyed a lot of his other books.
Jeff, I have a couple of David Lodge books I’m hoping to read this Summer. The Henry James book is one and his book on going deaf is another.