Introduction


Henry James
Now considered one of the world’s greatest novelists, Henry James desperately wanted to be a successful playwright. He spent several different periods of his life writing plays, but none of them garnered the success that his novels and short stories did. In fact, on the opening night of one of his early plays, James was greeted with hisses and boos when he bowed at the end of the performance. Traumatized by this reception, he eventually gave up writing for the theater and turned his unfinished plays into novels. As a result, his novels often follow a theatrical structure. He is now best known for The Portrait of a Lady, The Wings of the Dove, and the novellas Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw.

Essential Facts

  1. Though American by birth, James renounced his heritage and became a naturalized citizen of Great Britain during World War I in protest over the fact that the U.S. would not enter the war. Ironically, the U.S. did join the war shortly after James’s death.
  2. James was a self-proclaimed bachelor, but there is speculation among some critics that he was a closeted homosexual.
  3. Critics often divide James’s writing into three phases. His early work was simple and direct as much Victorian writing of the time was. In his second phase, he wrote more short stories and dramatic literature. In his third incarnation, he wrote long, serialized novels.
  4. James wrote a great deal of nonfiction, including the essay “The Art of Fiction” and a book-length study of the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
  5. Many of James’s novels have been made into films. The Wings of the Dove, Washington Square, and The Portrait of a Lady are particularly popular adaptations.
 

Recommended Resources

  1. Daisy Miller Lesson Plan (Teaching Unit)
  2. Daisy Miller Summary / Study Guide
  3. James, Henry (1843 - 1916) | Introduction: Gothic Literature
  4. The Ambassadors Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  5. The Turn of the Screw Summary and Study Guide - Henry James

All Resources

Display as: Categories, List
  1. Anthony Trollope Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1865)
  2. Charles Dickens Our Mutual Friend Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1865)
  3. Constance Fenimore Woolson Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1887)
  4. Daisy Miller Lesson Plan (Teaching Unit)
  5. Daisy Miller Review - Henry James
  6. Daisy Miller Summary / Study Guide
  7. Daisy Miller Text
  8. Daisy Miller: Videohound Movie Retriever
  9. Emanuel Swedenborg Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1869)
  10. Europe Summary - Henry James
  11. George Du Maurier Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1883)
  12. George Eliot Criticism | Henry James (review Date 1868)
  13. George Sand Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1877)
  14. Henry James Biography
  15. Henry James Biography / Profile
  16. Henry James Biography / Profile
  17. Henry James Biography / Profile
  18. Henry James Biography / Profile
  19. Henry James Biography / Profile
  20. Henry James Biography / Profile
  21. Henry James Daisy Miller Criticism
  22. Henry James Review - Fred Kaplan
  23. Henry James Review - Fred Kaplan
  24. Henry James The Turn of the Screw Criticism
  25. Henry James’s The Ambassadors Is Published: Salem on History
  26. In the Cage Summary - Henry James
  27. James, Henry (1843 - 1916) | Introduction: Gothic Literature
  28. James, Henry: The Oxford Companion to English Literature
  29. James, Henry: The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare
  30. M. E. Braddon Criticism | Henry James (review Date 1865)
  31. Margaret Fuller Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1903)
  32. Roderick Hudson Review - Henry James
  33. Roderick Hudson Summary - Henry James
  34. The Altar of the Dead Summary - Henry James
  35. The Ambassadors Review - Henry James
  36. The Ambassadors Review - Henry James
  37. The Ambassadors Review - Henry James
  38. The Ambassadors Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  39. The Ambassadors Text
  40. The American Review - Henry James
  41. The American Scene Summary - Henry James
  42. The American Summary - Henry James
  43. The Aspern Papers Review - Henry James
  44. The Aspern Papers Summary - Henry James
  45. The Awkward Age Review - Henry James
  46. The Awkward Age Summary - Henry James
  47. The Beast in the Jungle Summary - Henry James
  48. The Beast in the Jungle Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  49. The Beast in the Jungle Text
  50. The Bostonians Review - Henry James
  51. The Bostonians Review - Henry James
  52. The Bostonians: Videohound Movie Retriever
  53. The Figure in the Carpet Summary - Henry James
  54. The Golden Bowl Review - Henry James
  55. The Golden Bowl Summary - Henry James
  56. The Golden Bowl: Videohound Movie Retriever
  57. The Great Good Place Summary - Henry James
  58. The Jolly Corner Summary - Henry James
  59. The Jolly Corner Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  60. The Jolly Corner Text
  61. The Lesson of the Master Summary - Henry James
  62. The Middle Years Summary - Henry James
  63. The Mill on the Floss Criticism | Henry James (essay Date 1866)
  64. The Pony Express: Videohound Movie Retriever
  65. The Portrait of a Lady Review - Henry James
  66. The Portrait of a Lady Summary - Henry James
  67. The Portrait of a Lady Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  68. The Princess Casamassima Review - Henry James
  69. The Princess Casamassima Summary - Henry James
  70. The Pupil Summary - Henry James
  71. The Real Thing Summary - Henry James
  72. The Sacred Fount Review - Henry James
  73. The Sacred Fount Summary - Henry James
  74. The Spoils of Poynton Review - Henry James
  75. The Spoils of Poynton Summary - Henry James
  76. The Tragic Muse Review - Henry James
  77. The Tragic Muse Summary - Henry James
  78. The Tree of Knowledge Summary - Henry James
  79. The Turn of the Screw Lesson Plan (Teaching Unit)
  80. The Turn of the Screw Review - Henry James
  81. The Turn of the Screw Summary and Study Guide - Henry James
  82. The Turn of the Screw Text
  83. The Turn of the Screw: Videohound Movie Retriever
  84. The Wings of the Dove Review - Henry James
  85. The Wings of the Dove Summary - Henry James
  86. Victor Hugo Criticism | Henry James (review Date 1877)
  87. Washington Square Review - Henry James
  88. Washington Square Review - Henry James
  89. What Maisie Knew Review - Henry James
  90. What Maisie Knew Summary - Henry James