{\b Henry James}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: 1843

{\b Date of Death}.: 1916

{\b Works}.

American novelist. He began contributing to American periodicals in 1865. His 
first piece of fiction was Watch and Ward (1871) which appeared in serialised 
form. The impact of American life on the older civilisation of  Europe was 
explored during his first literary phase, in novels such as Roderick Hudson 
(1876),  Portrait of a Lady (1981),  Princess Casamassima (1886), and The 
Bostonians (1886). He then concentrated on English subjects in a series of 
books including The Spoils of Poynton (1897).

During his final phase of novel writing, in which one can place works such as 
The Ambassadors (1903), and The Golden Bowl (1904), James was once again 
concerned with the examination of Anglo-American culture. 

The most famous of James's many short stories, is the unsettling The Turn of 
the Screw (1898).

{\b Featured Works}.

'Turn of the Screw', 'The Europeans', 'Confidence', 'The American', 'Roderick 
Hudson', 'The Ambassadors', 'The Aspern Papers', 'An International Episode', 
'Daisy Miller', 'The Portrait of a Lady', 'Washington Square'.

{\b General Comment}.

Henry James, brother of the philosopher William James, was born in New York. 
He was of Scottish and Irish descent. His father was a well known theologian 
of the Scandinavian school. After attending schools in New York, London, 
Paris, and Geneva, he finally settled down to study law at Harvard in 1862. He 
distinguished himself with many contributions to American periodicals, 
including dazzling book reviews and serialised novels. After moving to Europe 
in 1875 he became intrigued by the clash between American and European 
culture, and this became the comon theme of most of his early work including 
his first major novel, Roderick Hudson (1876).

He lived for some twenty years in London before moving to Rye in 1898, where 
all his later novels were written. His 'English phase' of novel writing led 
him on a new track. He began to examine in detail the English character. In 
The Spoils of Poynton (1897), for example, he analyses in the whole concept of 
'Englishness' with a subtlety which was becoming his trademark.

He returned to the 'international' theme with his last three novels, 
contrasting American and European character. The Golden Bowl (1904), written 
during this phase is widely regarded as his masterpiece.

The failure of his play Guy Domville (1895) left James depressed and, to some 
extent, disillusioned. He revisited America in 1906 and wrote of his 
impressions in 'The American Scene'.

The outbreak of World War I brought out James's pro-English feelings and he 
was awarded the Order of Merit shortly before his death.

Henry James was to have a profound influence on the twentieth-century novel. 
His approach meant that plot took a back seat to psychological examination and 
close attention to minute detail. This style allowed the author's intentions 
to be reflected with great subtlety through  the metaphorical and allegorical 
use of apparently insignificant details.