Featured Author: Henry James
Posted on Monday September 25, 2006 at 11:10am.
As I write this, I know that some of my blog readers and plenty of my students are never going to read anything by Henry James (unless it is or was assigned for a class). James isn’t for those looking for a quick read. The sheer weight of his sentences, their serpentine wrapping around endless commas, the slow, seeming inaction of his plots, all give the impression that it’s too much work with too little reward. I have to admit that I need to be in a certain mood to read him--particularly for the long novels. I also must avoid distractions and have a good block of time available to me, and be well-rested and fueled by a healthy combination of caffeine and sugar.
Readers should not be put off by these disclaimers, though, because Henry James is great. His shorter pieces are not so much work after all, and once a reader adapts to his style, the rewards of his rich, subtle sentences and deep examination of character and society become clear. I always felt that I was learning to write when I read his work, which is maybe why I now only read him when I can afford to pay the proper attention--there’s too much to gain to dash through it.
I like the short stories "The Real Thing" and "Greville Fane"--while my own style and tone are as far from James as can be, his prose is at times surprisingly funny, though certainly not in a punch-line way. His serious novella "The Beast in the Jungle" was a direct influence on the theme of my first novel, and aside from that remains one of my favorite pieces written by anyone--haunting. I remember devouring The Princess Casamassima in a couple of days in graduate school, the plot details now escaping me but the sense remaining these years later that I learned so much about writing in the reading. The Portrait of a Lady, with its quiet, dark turn at the end, offers more drama than a million gimmicky plot twists, and stays with you.
Note: I will feature authors from time to time that my students and some blog readers might not be aware of, or might not be inclined to read without some prompting, though the authors in some cases will be quite well known. Those blog readers more than familiar with the authors in question are welcome to suggest works by the author for my readers to try.
Readers should not be put off by these disclaimers, though, because Henry James is great. His shorter pieces are not so much work after all, and once a reader adapts to his style, the rewards of his rich, subtle sentences and deep examination of character and society become clear. I always felt that I was learning to write when I read his work, which is maybe why I now only read him when I can afford to pay the proper attention--there’s too much to gain to dash through it.
I like the short stories "The Real Thing" and "Greville Fane"--while my own style and tone are as far from James as can be, his prose is at times surprisingly funny, though certainly not in a punch-line way. His serious novella "The Beast in the Jungle" was a direct influence on the theme of my first novel, and aside from that remains one of my favorite pieces written by anyone--haunting. I remember devouring The Princess Casamassima in a couple of days in graduate school, the plot details now escaping me but the sense remaining these years later that I learned so much about writing in the reading. The Portrait of a Lady, with its quiet, dark turn at the end, offers more drama than a million gimmicky plot twists, and stays with you.
Note: I will feature authors from time to time that my students and some blog readers might not be aware of, or might not be inclined to read without some prompting, though the authors in some cases will be quite well known. Those blog readers more than familiar with the authors in question are welcome to suggest works by the author for my readers to try.