Books by Henry James

Portrait of Henry James

Henry James, one of the most refined voices in late nineteenth‑ and early twentieth‑century fiction, is celebrated for his subtle psychological insight and elegant prose. His works often explore the meeting of Old World sophistication with New World innocence, capturing the tensions of culture, class, and moral perception that defined his era.

From the haunting ambiguity of his ghost stories to the intricate social observation of his novels, James's writing continues to reward attentive readers. His mastery of point of view and finely balanced sentences reveal the inner lives of characters with remarkable precision, securing his place as a cornerstone of modern literary realism.

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267 products


  • The Turn of the Screw Henry James Collins

    HarperCollins Publishers The Turn of the Screw Henry James Collins

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.The place, with its grey sky and withered garlands, its bared spaces and scattered dead leaves, was like a theatre after the performance-all strewn with crumpled playbills.'Revered as one of the greatest ghost stories ever told, James's The Turn of the Screw is an eerie Victorian masterpiece.When an inexperienced governess goes to work at Bly, a country house in Essex to look after a young boy Miles and his sister Flora, all manner of strange events begin to occur. The governess spots a ghostly man and woman around the grounds and is told by the housekeeper that the valet and previous governess haunt the house. It soon becomes clear that the children are inexplicably connected to these ghosts in some way and the young governess struggles to protect the children, although from exactly what, she is not sure.Exploring the psychological and sexual fears of an era, this ambiguous, suspenseful and anxiety-inspi

    15 in stock

    £5.62

  • The Figure in the Carpet

    Penguin Books Ltd The Figure in the Carpet

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Did she know and if she knew would she speak?''The story of an unsolved literary mystery that explores what James referred to as troubled artistic consciousness Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin''s 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.Henry James (1843-1916). James''s works available in Penguin Classics are The Portrait of a Lady,The Europeans, What Maisie Knew, The Awkward Age, The Figure in the Carpet and Other Stories, The Turn of The Screw, The Aspern Papers and O

    3 in stock

    £5.06

  • The Portrait of a Lady: Annotated Edition (Alma

    Alma Books Ltd The Portrait of a Lady: Annotated Edition (Alma

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisHaving travelled from her native New York to London to meet her relatives, Isabel Archer, a young, independently minded young woman, rejects the marriage proposals of two suitors in her determination to stay in control of her destiny. When she suddenly comes into a large legacy, Isabel believes that this windfall will finally ensure the freedom that she yearns for and embarks on an exhilarating journey through France and Italy, only to find her endeavours thwarted by the sinister plotting of some of her acquaintances. Considered by many to be Henry James’s finest novel, The Portrait of a Lady is a subtle examination of Victorian society and power relations, providing a groundbreaking psychological study of its protagonist. This volume is based on the authoritative New York Edition, and includes the author’s seminal preface.Trade ReviewHenry James’s great, humane masterpiece. -- Hermione Lee

    2 in stock

    £8.65

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Penguin Books Ltd The Portrait of a Lady

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Penguin English Library edition of The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James''She knew of no wrong that he had done; he was not violent, he was not cruel; she simply believed that he hated her''When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a rich prize waiting to be taken. In this portrait of a ''young woman affronting her destiny'', Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a story of intense poignancy.The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

    7 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd The Portrait of a Lady

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Lionel Kelly, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Reading. Transplanted to Europe from her native America, Isabel Archer has candour, beauty, intelligence, an independent spirit and a marked enthusiasm for life. An unexpected inheritance apparently gives her freedom, but despite all her natural advantages she makes one disastrous error of judgement and the result is genuinely tragic. Her tale, told with James’ inimitable poise, is of the widest relevance. ‘The phase when his (Henry James’) genius functioned with the freest and fullest vitality is represented by The Portrait of a Lady’. (F.R. LEAVIS)

    10 in stock

    £5.62

  • The Turn of the Screw & The Aspern Papers

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd The Turn of the Screw & The Aspern Papers

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Dr Claire Seymour, University of Kent at Canterbury. The Turn of the Screw is the classic ghost story for which James is most remembered. Set in a country house, it is a chilling tale of the supernatural told by a master of the genre. The Aspern Papers is a tale of Americans in Europe, a theme in which Henry James is at his most assured and accomplished. The author cleverly evokes the drama of comédie humaine against the settings of a Venetian palace.

    15 in stock

    £5.62

  • What Maisie Knew Penguin Classics

    Penguin Books Ltd What Maisie Knew Penguin Classics

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA new edition of the innovative, emotionally complex novel.After her parents’ bitter divorce, young Maisie Farange finds herself shuttled between her selfish mother and vain father, who value her only as a means for provoking each other. Maisie—solitary, observant, and wise beyond her years—is drawn into an increasingly entangled adult world of intrigue and sexual betrayal until she is finally compelled to choose her own future. Published in 1897 as Henry James was experimenting with narrative technique and fascinated by the idea of the child’s-eye view, What Maisie Knew is a subtle yet devastating portrayal of an innocent adrift in a corrupt society.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers Trade Review“Reading Henry James is like putting a new faculty to the test. This is the true morality.”—Anita Brookner

    Out of stock

    £8.54

  • Daisy Miller and Other Tales

    Penguin Books Ltd Daisy Miller and Other Tales

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA wonderful new collection of tales exploring Henry James''s favourite ''international theme'': the experiences of Americans in Europe, and the meeting of the old world and new. Daisy Miller is one of Henry James''s great heroines - a young, independent American travelling in Europe, whose flouting of social conventions has the potential to lead to disaster. Her story is here accompanied by six more set among English castles, Swiss hotels and French ports, and all riffing on a classic Jamesian theme: the clash between the old world and new, Europe and America.The tales included in this volume are ''Travelling Companions'', ''Madame de Mauves'', ''Four Meetings'', ''Daisy Miller'', ''An International Episode'', ''Europe'' and ''Fordham Castle'', and the collection has been edited by renowned scholar of Anglo-American literature, Stephen Fender, under the general editorship of Philip Horne. This is one of three new volumes of James''s greatest tales in Penguin C

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories

    Oxford University Press The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisA young, inexperienced governess is charged with the care of Miles and Flora, two small children abandoned by their uncle at his grand country house. She sees the figure of an unknown man on the tower and his face at the window. It is Peter Quint, the master''s dissolute valet, and he has come for little Miles. But Peter Quint is dead. Like the other tales collected here - `Sir Edmund Orme'', `Owen Wingrave'', and `The Friends of the Friends'' - `The Turn of the Screw'' is to all immediate appearances a ghost story. But are the appearances what they seem? Is what appears to the governess a ghost or a hallucination? Who else sees what she sees? The reader may wonder whether the children are victims of corruption from beyond the grave, or victims of the governess''s `infernal imagination'', which torments but also entrals her? `The Turn of the Screw'' is probably the most famous, certainly the most eerily equivocal, of all ghostly tales. Is it a subtle, self-conscious exploration of thTable of ContentsSir Edmund Orme; Owen Wingrave; The Friends of the Friends; The Turn of the Screw

    7 in stock

    £6.99

  • The Spoils of Poynton Oxford Worlds Classics

    Oxford University Press The Spoils of Poynton Oxford Worlds Classics

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.39

  • The Aspern Papers and Other Stories

    Oxford University Press The Aspern Papers and Other Stories

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''There''s no baseness I wouldn''t commit for Jeffrey Aspern''s sake.''The poet Aspern, long since dead, has left behind some private papers. They are jealously guarded by an old lady, once his mistress and muse, a recluse in an old palazzo in Venice, tended by her ingenuous niece. A predatory critic is determined to seize them. What can he make of the younger woman? What are his motives? What are the papers worth and what is he prepared to pay?In all four stories collected here, including ''The Death of the Lion'', ''The Figure in the Carpet'', and ''The Birthplace'', the figure of the artist is central. Extraordinarily prophetic, James explores the emergent new cult of the writer as celebrity, and asks, who cares about the work for itself? Can the man behind the artist ever truly be known, and does our knowledge explain the act of creativity? This new edition includes extracts from James''s Prefaces and Notebooks which shed light on the genesis of the stories. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Note on the Texts ; Select Bibliography ; Chronology ; 'The Aspern Papers' ; 'The Death of the Lion' ; 'The Figure in the Carpet' ; 'The Birthplace' ; Appendix 1: extracts from James's Prefaces for the New York Edition ; Appendix 2: extracts from James's Notebooks ; Appendix 3: stage and screen versions of 'The Aspern Papers' ; Appendix 4: variant readings ; Explanatory Notes

    1 in stock

    £7.99

  • The Golden Bowl

    Penguin Books Ltd The Golden Bowl

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisHenry James''s highly charged study of adultery, jealousy and possession, The Golden Bowl is edited with an introduction and notes by Ruth Bernard Yeazell in Penguin Classics.Maggie Verver, a young American heiress, and her widowed father Adam, a billionaire collector of objets d''art, lead a life of wealth and refinement in London. They are both getting married: Maggie to Prince Amerigo, an impoverished Italian aristocrat, and Adam to the beautiful but penniless Charlotte Stant, a friend of his daughter. But both father and daughter are unaware that their new conquests share a secret - one for which all concerned must pay the price. Henry James''s late, great work both continues and challenges his theme of confrontation between American innocence and European experience.This edition of The Golden Bowl contains a chronology, suggested further reading, a glossary, notes and an introduction by Ruth Bernard Yeazall discussing James''s original conception of the novel and later changes made to its structure and characters.Henry James (1843-1916) son of a prominent theologian, and brother to the philosopher William James, was one of the most celebrated novelists of the fin-de-siècle. In addition to many short stories, plays, books of criticism, biography and autobiography, and much travel writing, he wrote some twenty novels.His novella ''Daisy Miller'' (1878) established him as a literary figure on both sides of the Atlantic, and his other novels in Penguin Classics include Washington Square (1880), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), What Maisie Knew (1897), The Awkward Age (1899), The Wings of the Dove (1902) and The Ambassadors (1903).If you enjoyed The Golden Bowl, you might like Theodor Fontaine''s Effi Briest, also available in Penguin Classics.''A wonderfully luminous drama''Gore Vidal''One of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written''A.N. WilsonTrade Review'One of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written' - A. N. Wilson 'A wonderfully luminous drama' - Gore Vidal

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Fiction

    Random House USA Inc The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Fiction

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £7.56

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Oxford University Press The Portrait of a Lady

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisConsidered by many as one of the finest novels in the English language, The Portrait of a Lady is both a dramatic Victorian tale of betrayal and a wholly modern psychological study of a woman caught in machinations she only comes to understand too late. This new edition usefully tracks the major textual changes James made for his New York Edition.

    10 in stock

    £7.59

  • The Golden Bowl

    Oxford University Press The Golden Bowl

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA rich American art-collector and his daughter Maggie buy in for themselves and to their greater glory a beautiful young wife and a noble husband. They do not know that Charlotte and Prince Amerigo were formerly lovers, nor that on the eve of the Prince's marriage they had discovered, in a Bloomsbury antique shop, a golden bowl with a secret flaw. When the golden bowl is broken, Maggie must leave the security of her childhood and try to reassemble the pieces of hershattered happiness. In this, the last of his three great poetic masterpieces, James combined with a dazzling virtuosity elements of social comedy, of mystery, terror, and myth. The Golden Bowl is the most controversial, ambiguous, and sophisticated of James's novels.

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • What Maisie Knew

    Oxford University Press What Maisie Knew

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhat Maisie Knew (1897) represents one of James''s finest reflections on the rites of passage from wonder to knowledge, and the question of their finality. The child of violently divorced parents, Maisie Farange opens her eyes on a distinctly modern world. Mothers and fathers keep changing their partners and names, while she herself becomes the pretext for all sorts of adult sexual intrigue. In this classic tale of the death of childhood, there is a savage comedy that owes much to Dickens. But for his portrayal of the child''s capacity for intelligent `wonder'', James summons all the subtlety he devotes elsewhere to his most celebrated adult protagonists. Neglected and exploited by everyone around her, Maisie inspires James to dwell with extraordinary acuteness on the things that may pass between adult and child. In addition to a new introduction, this edition of the novel offers particularly detailed notes, bibliography, and a list of variant readings. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100

    1 in stock

    £8.20

  • The Wings of the Dove

    Oxford University Press The Wings of the Dove

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Europeans A Sketch Oxford Worlds Classics

    Oxford University Press The Europeans A Sketch Oxford Worlds Classics

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £7.59

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Penguin Books Ltd The Portrait of a Lady

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHenry James was born in 1843 in New York and died in London in 1916. In addition to many short stories, plays, books of criticism, autobiography and travel, he wrote some twenty novels, the first published being Roderick Hudson (1875). They include The Europeans, Washington Square, The Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, The Princess Casamassima, The Tragic Muse, The Spoils of Poynton, The Awkward Age, The Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl.Trade Review“The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.”—Rebecca West

    1 in stock

    £18.00

  • The Aspern Papers and Other Tales Penguin

    Penguin Books Ltd The Aspern Papers and Other Tales Penguin

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn impressive new selection of Henry James’s short stories, edited by Pulitzer Prize–nominated James biographer Michael GorraThis volume gathers seven of the very best of Henry James’s short stories, all exploring the relationship between art and life. In the title story, “The Aspern Papers,” a critic is determined to get his hands on a great poet’s papers hidden in a faded Venetian house—no mater what the human cost. “The Author of Beltraffio,” “The Lesson of the Master,” and “The Figure in the Carpet” all focus on naive young men’s unsettling encounters with their literary heroes. In “The Middle Years,” a dying novelist begins to glimpse his own potential, while “The Real Thing” and “Greville Fane” explore the tension between artistic and commercial success. These fables of the creative life reveal James at his ironic, provocative best.For mor

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Turn of the Screw

    Penguin Books Ltd The Turn of the Screw

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA chilling ghost story, wrought with tantalising ambiguity, the basis for the new Netflix series The Haunting of Bly ManorA Penguin Classic In what Henry James called a ''trap for the unwary'', The Turn of the Screw tells of a nameless young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans, Miles and Flora. Unsettled by a dark foreboding of menace within the house, she soon comes to believe that something malevolent is stalking the children in her care. But is the threat to her young charges really a malign and ghostly presence or something else entirely? The Turn of the Screw is James''s great masterpiece of haunting atmosphere and unbearable tension and has influenced subsequent ghost stories and films such as The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr, and The Others, starring Nicole Kidman. This Penguin Classics edition contains a chronology, further reading, notes and an introduction by David Bromwich examining the dark ambiguity of James''s work and the inseparability of narrative from point-of-view.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

    2 in stock

    £7.99

  • The Bostonians A Novel Penguin Classics

    Penguin Books Ltd The Bostonians A Novel Penguin Classics

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis‘There was nothing weak about Miss Olive, she was a fighting woman, and she would fight him to the death’ Basil Ransom, an attractive young Mississippi lawyer, is on a visit to his cousin Olive, a wealthy feminist, in Boston when he accompanies her to a meeting on the subject of women’s emancipation. One of the speakers is Verena Tarrant, and although he disapproves of all she claims to stand for, Basil is immediately captivated by her and sets about ‘reforming’ her with his traditional views. But Olive has already made Verena her protégée, and soon a battle is under way for exclusive possession of her heart and mind. The Bostonians is one of James’s most provocative and astute portrayals of a world caught between old values and the lure of progress.Richard Lansdown’s introduction discusses The Bostonians as James’s most successful political work and his funniest novel. This editionTrade Review“As devastating in its wit as it is sharp in its social critique of sexual politics. No writer in America had dared the subject before. No one has done it so well since.” —The New Republic

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Better Sort A Collection of Short Stories

    15 in stock

    £24.79

  • The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories

    Vintage Publishing The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis*The inspiration behind Netflix''s The Haunting of Bly Manor*Discover Henry James''s most famous and terrifying story in an edition which also includes a unique selection of his best loved ghost stories. A young governess is sent to a great country house to care for two orphaned children. To begin with Flora and Miles seem to be model pupils but gradually the governess starts to suspect that something is very wrong with them. As she sets out to uncover the corrupt secrets of the house she becomes more and more convinced that something evil is watching her.''A most wonderful, lurid, poisonous little tale'' Oscar WildeTrade ReviewA most wonderful, lurid, poisonous little tale -- Oscar WildeIt really does turn your blood cold -- Colm TóibínTechnically, he is extraordinarily brilliant, and stylistically he's wonderful -- David LodgeHenry James is as solitary in the history of the novel as Shakespeare is in the history of poetry -- Graham Greene[James] is the most intelligent man of his generation -- T. S. Eliot

    2 in stock

    £8.20

  • The Portrait of a Lady Classics

    Random House Publishing Group The Portrait of a Lady Classics

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisCapturing the grandeur of a gracious, splendid Europe of wealth and Old World sensibilities, this glorious, complex novel has become a touchstone for a great writer’s entire literary achievement. From the opening pages, when the high-spirited American girl Isabel Archer arrives at the English manor Gardencourt, James’s luminous, superbly crafted prose creates an atmosphere of intensity, expectation, and incomparable beauty. Isabel, who has been taken abroad by an eccentric aunt to fulfill her potential, attracts the passions of a British aristocrat and a brash American, as well as the secret adoration of her invalid cousin, Ralph Touchett. But her vulnerability and innocence lead her not to love but to a fatal entrapment in intrigue, deception, and betrayal. This brilliant interior drama of the forming of a woman’s consciousness makes The Portrait of a Lady a masterpiece of James’s middle years.

    Out of stock

    £6.30

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Pan Macmillan The Portrait of a Lady

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWidely accepted as Henry James' great masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady is a poignant and intense exploration of freedom and identity. This edition is introduced by Costa Award-winning author Colm Tóibín.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Intelligent, beautiful and vivacious, Isabel Archer fascinates and intimidates the elite society of Albany, New York. Fiercely protective of her independence, she travels to England with her aunt to escape a persistent suitor but, upon inheriting a considerable fortune, falls into the sway of the devious Mrs Merle who whisks her off to Italy. There she is seduced by the narcissistic Gilbert Osmond, an art collector who will stop at nothing to possess her, and whose connection to Mrs Merle is shrouded in mystery.

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Turn of the Screw

    Arcturus Publishing Ltd The Turn of the Screw

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow can I retrace today the strange steps of my obsession... The Turn of the Screw tells the tale of an unnamed governess who lives with her two charges in an isolated country house. After living for a while in blissful harmony, the governess begins to spy ghostly apparitions roaming the grounds. She becomes obsessed with these figures that only she can see, and strives to protect the children from their malevolent designs. But the situation soon begins to spiral out of control. This uneasy and sinister novella is a genius work of horror fiction, surrounding the terrors that emerge from everyday life.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Silhouette Classics are high-quality hardback editions with contemporary cover-designs. Presented with dust jackets and beautiful colour end-papers, the titles in this series make wonderful gifts or collectibles for any classic literature lover.

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Ghost Stories of Henry James

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd Ghost Stories of Henry James

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Martin Scofield, University of Kent at Canterbury. Henry James was arguably the greatest practitioner of what has been called the psychological ghost story. His stories explore the region which lies between the supernatural or straightforwardly marvellous and the darker areas of the human psyche. This edition includes all ten of his ghost stories, and as such is the fullest collection currently available. The stories range widely in tone and type. They include 'The Jolly Corner', a compelling story of psychological doubling; 'Owen Wingrave', which is also a subtle parable of military tradition; 'The Friends of the Friends', a strange story of uncanny love; and 'The Private Life', which finds a shrewd, high comedy in its ghostly theme. The volume also includes James's great novella The Turn of the Screw, perhaps the most ambiguous and disturbing ghost story ever written.

    15 in stock

    £5.90

  • The Beast in the Jungle and Other Stories

    Arcturus Publishing Ltd The Beast in the Jungle and Other Stories

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Something or other lay in wait for him, amid the twists and turns of the months and the years, like a crouching beast in the jungle.''Fearful that his life is to be determined by some unknown cataclysmic event, John Marcher spends his days waiting for this momentous occurrence as if it is a crouching ''beast in the jungle''. The Beast in the Jungle is a poignant novella that asks us to consider if the ultimate meaning of life is worth searching for and what we should do if we find it. This captivating collection of some of Henry James''s work also includes his short stories ''The Altar of the Dead'', ''A Private Life'', and ''The Way it Came''.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classics series brings together high-quality paperback editions of classics works, presented with contemporary graphic cover designs. Together they make a wonderful collection which is perfect for any home library.

    1 in stock

    £7.59

  • Letters to Isabella Stewart Gardner

    Pushkin Press Letters to Isabella Stewart Gardner

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisSurrounded by the artists, writers and musicians who made up her court in Boston as they did in Venice, Isabella Stewart Gardner, a passionate art collector, was as revered and sought after as royalty. Henry James was inspired by the rich and powerful Gardner, as well as by the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice, when he wrote his novel The Wings of the Dove. Gardner was to recreate a larger-than-life version of Palazzo Barbaro in Boston, which is now the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. These dazzling letters bring to life James's passion for Venice and the Palazzo Barbaro, and serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of Isabella Stewart Gardner herself.

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Turn of the Screw

    Chiltern Publishing The Turn of the Screw

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World?s finest literature. Your favorite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile layers, fine details and beautiful colors of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess who is sent to Bly, a large country estate, to care for two children. She has strict instructions from their guardian never to write to him, never to ask about the history of the house, and never to abandon the children.It isn?t long before the Governess starts to see apparitions around the grounds. When she describes the sightings, they are identified by the housekeeper as the previous governess Miss Jessel and former valet Peter Quint, who both died not long ago. As the children?s behaviour grows increasingly strange, the Governess becomes convinced that these ghosts have returned to claim Miles & Flora and vows to protect them.?But are the phantoms real, or is it all in the Governess'' imagination?

    2 in stock

    £17.00

  • Penguin Readers Level 6 The Turn of the Screw ELT

    Penguin Random House Children's UK Penguin Readers Level 6 The Turn of the Screw ELT

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.A young woman accepts her first job as a governess and goes to Bly, a large country house in England. There she teaches a young brother and sister. But the governess soon starts to see ghosts and tries to protect the children from them.

    15 in stock

    £6.99

  • On Writers and Writing

    The New York Review of Books, Inc On Writers and Writing

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA new selection of Henry James''s essays on the art of writing, from his famous essay "The Art of Fiction" to pieces on George Eliot, Ivan Turgenev, Honoré de Balzac, and others. Witty, erudite, and passionate, James''s essays are a delight for any lover of the written word.Best known as a master novelist, Henry James was also an incisive critic whose essays on the novel had as profound an influence on its development as did his fiction. Here, Pulitzer-finalist Michael Gorra, author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece, gathers some of the most virtuosic essays from across fifty years of James?s career. From his landmark essay ?The Art of Fiction,? an exhilarating treatise on the complexity of literary form, to ?The Lesson of Balzac,? a tender portrait of one of James?s greatest touchstones, to career-defining assessmentsof writers such as George Eliot and Ivan Turgenev, James reveals himself as a passionate and sensitive reader, one whose unerring ability to locate the currents within Anglophone literature was matched only by his uncommon prescience regarding its future. Slyly humorous and unabashedly opinionated, On Writers and Writing is a compelling artistic biography of a writer at his cogent and stylish best.

    15 in stock

    £18.71

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    HarperCollins Publishers The Portrait of a Lady

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.Money''s a horrid thing to follow, but a charming thing to meet.'Isabel Archer is a beautiful, intelligent and independent young woman. Brought from America to England by her wealthy Aunt who seeks to further her education and find her niece a husband, Isabel is determined to shape her own future one that does not necessarily entail becoming a wife. Isabel inherits a fortune when her rich uncle dies and feels even more inclined to turn down two eligible suitors on the basis that she is a woman of her own means. However, a trip to Italy heralds her downfall when she meets the charming Gilbert Osmond, a worthless, yet ambitious and scheming dilettante.

    1 in stock

    £6.01

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Vintage Publishing The Portrait of a Lady

    Book Synopsis''Henry James is as solitary in the history of the novel as Shakespeare is in the history of poetry'' Graham Greene Isabel Archer''s main aim in life is to protect her independence. She is not interested in settling down and compromising her freedom for the sake of marriage. However, on a trip around Europe with her aunt, she finds herself captivated by the charming Gilbert Osmond, who is very interested in the idea of adding Isabel to his collection of beautiful artworks...Trade ReviewThis subtle, beautifully constructed study of an attractive, intelligent, spirited young woman's transition from insouciance to enlightenment is a classic. Passion, intrigue, betrayal - it sounds like a potboiler, but James's observations of Victorian manners, understanding of human nature and exquisite prose elevate it to another league * Guardian *The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world -- Rebecca WestSubtle and sophisticated and concerned with psychological nuance and social acceptability -- Joanna TrollopeJames is the master of making what is not said the most important thing on the page -- Kate AtkinsonI read Portrait of a Lady by Henry James maybe once a year. I just love the story. I love the pace of it -- Colm Toibin

    £9.49

  • The American

    Penguin Books Ltd The American

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisHenry James''s third novel is an exploration of his most powerful, perennial theme - the clash between European and American cultures, the Old World and the New. Christopher Newman, a ''self-made'' American millionaire in France, falls in love with the beautiful aristocratic Claire de Bellegarde. Her family, however, taken aback by his brash American manner, rejects his proposal of marriage. When Newman discovers a guilty secret in the Bellegardes'' past, he confronts a moral dilemma: Should he expose them and thus gain his revenge? James''s masterly early work is at once a social comedy, a melodramatic romance and a realistic novel of manners.

    4 in stock

    £8.54

  • Roderick Hudson

    Penguin Books Ltd Roderick Hudson

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen wealthy Rowland Mallet first sees a sculpture by Roderick Hudson, he is astounded and pronounces it to be a work of genius, and is equally entranced by the sculptor''s beauty, spirit and charisma. Wishing to give the impoverished artist the opportunity to develop his talent, he takes Roderick from America to Rome, where he becomes the talk of the city. But Roderick soon loses his inspiration and Rowland loses control of his protégé, while both fall in love with women they cannot ever have. Can Roderick be saved from the path to self-destruction he seems set on? One of Henry James''s first novels, Roderick Hudson (1875) is a compelling depiction of the artistic temperament and of a young man who, like Icarus, flies too close to the sun.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout hi

    10 in stock

    £12.99

  • The Spoils of Poynton Classics S

    Penguin Publishing Group The Spoils of Poynton Classics S

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisMrs Gereth is convinced that Fleda Vetch would make the perfect daughter-in-law. Only the dreamy, highly-strung young woman can genuinely appreciate, and perhaps eventually share, Mrs Gereth's passion for her 'things' - the antique treasures she has amassed at Poynton Park in the south of England. Owen Gereth, however, has inconveniently become engaged to the uncultured Mona Brigstock. As a dramatic family quarrel unfolds, the hesitating Fleda is drawn in, yet she remains reluctant to captivate Owen, who seems as attracted to her as she is to him. Is she motivated by scruple or fear? In The Spoils of Poynton (1897), Henry James created a work of exquisite ambiguity in his depiction of three women fighting for the allegiance of one weak-willed man.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout hi

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • The Awkward Age

    Penguin Books Ltd The Awkward Age

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisMaking her debut in London society, Nanda Brookenham is being groomed for the marriage market. Thrust suddenly into the superficial and immoral circle that surrounds her mother, the innocent but independent-minded young woman even finds herself in competition with Mrs Brookenham for the affection of the man she admires. Only an elderly bachelor, Mr Longdon, is immune to this world of greed and scheming, and determines to rescue Nanda from its corrupting influences out of loyalty to the deep love he once felt for her grandmother. In The Awkward Age (1899), Henry James explores the English character, and the clash between old and new money with a light and subtly ironic touch to create a devastating critique of society and its machinations.

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Tragic Muse

    Penguin Books Ltd The Tragic Muse

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis''You must paint her just like that ... as the Tragic Muse'' Suggests one of James''s characters to Nick Dormer, the young Englishman who, during the course of the novel, will courageously resist the glittering Parliamentary career desired for him by his family, in order to paint. His progress is counterpointed by the ''Tragic Muse'' of the title, Miriam Rooth, one of James''s most fierily beautiful creations, a great actress indifferent to social reputation, and triumphantly dedicated to her art. In portraying the conflict between art and ''the world'' which is his novel''s central idea, James engaged obliquely with current debates on the new aestheticism of Pater and Wilde and on the nature of the actor''s performance. Through the living complexity of his protagonists he reveals how much, as Philip Horne puts it, ''to take art seriously as an end in itself ... is still a provocative course''.

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw Henry

    Penguin Books Ltd Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw Henry

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Penguin English Library Edition of Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw by Henry JamesI''m a fearful, frightful flirt! Did you ever hear of a nice girl that was not?This edition contains two of Henry James''s most popular short works. Travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy Miller, an exquisitely beautiful young American woman, presents her fellow-countryman Winterbourne with a dilemma he cannot resolve. Is she deliberately flouting social convention in the outspoken way she talks and acts, or is she simply ignorant of those conventions? In Daisy Miller Henry James created his first great portrait of the enigmatic and dangerously independent American woman, a figure who would come to dominate his later masterpieces.Oscar Wilde called James''s chilling The Turn of the Screw ''a most wonderful, lurid poisonous little tale''. It tells of a young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans,

    5 in stock

    £7.59

  • The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories

    Penguin Publishing Group The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA chilling new collection of Henry James's short stories exploring the uncanny, including The Turn of the Screw, the basis for the new Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor   In The Turn of the Screw, one of the most famous ghost stories of all time, a governess becomes obsessed with the belief that malevolent forces are stalking the children in her care. It is accompanied here by several more of the very best of Henry James's short stories, all exploring ghosts and the uncanny.  For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best w

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Portrait of a Lady Henry James Penguin

    Penguin Books Ltd The Portrait of a Lady Henry James Penguin

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisRegarded by many as Henry James's finest work, and a lucid tragedy exploring the distance between money and happiness, The Portrait of a Lady contains an introduction by Philip Horne in Penguin Classics. When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy the freedom that her fortune has opened up and to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a rich prize waiting to be taken. Beneath his veneer of civilized behaviour, Isabel discovers cruelty and a stifling darkness. In this portrait of a 'young woman affronting her destiny', Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a story of intense poignancy. This edition of The Portrait of a Lady, based on the earliest published copy of theTrade Review“The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.”—Rebecca West

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Wings of the Dove

    Penguin Books Ltd The Wings of the Dove

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisEmerging from the grit and stigma of poverty to a life of fairytale privilege under the wing of her aunt, the beautiful and financially ambitious Kate Croy is already romantically involved with promising journalist Merton Densher when they become acquainted with Milly Theale, a New York socialite of immense wealth. Learning of Milly''s mortal illness and passionate attraction to Densher, Kate sets the scene for a romantic betrayal intended to secure her lasting financial security. As the dying Milly retreats within the carnival splendour of a Venetian palazzo, becoming the frail hub of a predatory circle of fortune-seekers, James unfolds a resonant, brooding tale of doomed passion, betrayal, human resilience and remorse.Trade Review“The Wings of the Dove represents the pinnacle of James’s prose.”—Louis Auchincloss

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Ambassadors Penguin Classics

    Penguin Books Ltd The Ambassadors Penguin Classics

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe greatest expression of his talent for witty, observant explorations of what it means to 'live well', Henry James's The Ambassadors is edited with an introduction and notes by Adrian Poole in Penguin Classics. Concerned that her son Chad may have become involved with a woman of dubious reputation, the formidable Mrs Newsome sends her 'ambassador' Strether from Massachusetts to Paris to extricate him. Strether's mission, however, is gradually undermined as he falls under the spell of the city and finds Chad refined rather than corrupted by its influence and that of his charming companion, Madame de Vionnet, and her daughter, Jeanne. As the summer wears on, Mrs Newsome concludes that she must send another envoy to confront the errant Chad - and a Strether whose view of the world has changed profoundly. One of the greatest of James's late works, The Ambassadors is a subtle and witty exploration of different responses to a European environment. Thi

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Daisy Miller

    Penguin Books Ltd Daisy Miller

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisHenry James (Author) Henry James was born in 1843 in New York and died in London in 1916. In addition to many short stories, plays, books of criticism, autobiography and travel, he wrote some twenty novels, the first published being Roderick Hudson (1875). They include The Europeans, Washington Square, The Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, The Princess Casamassima, The Tragic Muse, The Spoils of Poynton, The Awkward Age, The Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl.Trade Review“The critical faculty hesitates before the magnitude of Mr. Henry James’s work.”—Joseph Conrad

    5 in stock

    £7.59

  • The Europeans A Sketch Penguin Classics

    Penguin Books Ltd The Europeans A Sketch Penguin Classics

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn incomparable Henry James novel in a new edition Featuring a new introduction, it is a brilliant and sophisticated satire of manners and morals in the best Jamesian tradition. The Europeans, one of James's most popular and optimistic novels, has at its center an expatriated American raised in Europe who, determined to find a new husband, flees from her crumbling marriage and travels to Boston with her younger brother.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Trade Review“He is as solitary in the history of the novel as Shakespeare in the history of poetry."—Graham Greene

    3 in stock

    £7.59

  • theportablehenryjames

    Penguin Publishing Group theportablehenryjames

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHenry James wrote with an imperial elegance of style, whether his subjects were American innocents or European sophisticates, incandescent women or their vigorous suitors. His omniscient eye took in the surfaces of cities, the nuances of speech, dress, and manner, and, above all, the microscopic interactions, hesitancies, betrayals, and self-betrayals that are the true substance of relationships. The entirely new Portable Henry James provides an unparalleled range of this great body of work: seven major tales, including Daisy Miller, The Turn of the Screw, The Beast in the Jungle, and The Jolly Corner; a sampling of revisions James made to some of his most famous work; travel writing; literary criticism; correspondences; autobiography; descriptions of the major novels; and parodies by famous contemporaries, including T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, and Graham Greene.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature Table of ContentsThe Portable Henry JamesIntroductionChronologyAcknowledgmentsI. FictionDaisy Miller: A Study"Brooksmith""The Real Thing""The Middle Years"The Turn of the Screw"The Beast in the Jungle"The Jolly Corner"II. RevisionsDaisy Miller: 1879 and 1909The Portrait of a Lady: 1881 and 1908III. TravelFrom English Hours"London at Midsummer"From Italian Hours"Two Old Houses and Three Young Women""The Saint's Afternoon and Others"From The American Scene"The Bowery and Thereabouts"from "Boston" "France"IV. CriticismOn Whitman"brute sublimity"On Baudelaire"This is not Evil...it is simply the nasty!"From Hawthorne"No sovereign, no court, no personal loyalty, no aristocracy, no church"On Emerson"salt is wanting""The Art of Fiction""the chamber of consciousness""Try to be one...on whom nothing is lost!"From "the Question of Our Speech""Our national use of the vocal sound, in men and women alike, is slovenly"From "The Lesson of Balzac""plated and burnished and bright"On Shakespearethe "absolute value of Style"From the Preface to Roderick Hudson"Really, universally, relations stop nowhere"From the Preface to The Portrait of a Lady"The house of fiction has in short not one window, but a million"From the Preface to The Tragic Muse"large loose baggy monsters"V. AutobiographyThe peaches d'antanfrom A Small Boy and OthersThe dancing teacher Madame Dubreilfrom A Small Boy and OthersA daguerreotype taken by Mathew Bradyfrom A Small Boy and OthersThe Galerie d'Apollonfrom A Small Boy and OthersAn obscure hurtfrom Notes of a Son and BrotherThe death of Minnie Templefrom Notes of a Son and BrotherAt the grave of Alice Jamesfrom The Complete NotebooksVI. CorrespondenceA thirteen-year-old in Paris writes to a young friendTo Edgar Van Winkle; 1856On the Grand TourTo William James; October 30, 1869Henry James, expatriateTo the James family; November 1, 1875The literary scene in ParisTo William Dean Howells; May 28, 1876Growing fameTo Miss Abbey Alger; November 21, 1881The friendship with Robert Louis StevensonTo Robert Louis Stevenson; July 31, 1888The death of Alice JamesTo William James; March 8, 1892The friendship with Hendrik C. AndersenTo Hendrik C. Andersen; February 9, 1902To Hendrik C. Andersen; February 28, 1902The death of William JamesTo Thomas Sergeant Perry; September 2, 1910To H. G. Wells; September 11, 1910The publication of Boon, and the break with H. G. WellsTo H. G. Wells; July 6, 1915To H. G. Wells; July 10, 1915VII. Definition and DescriptionAn American encounters some aristocratsfrom The AmericanAn ambitious young Frenchwomanfrom The AmericanSarah Bernhardt, the muse of the newspaperfrom "The Comedie Francaise in London"An American educationfrom The Portrait of a LadyAn American is corrected on what constitutes "the self"from The Portrait of a LadyAn absolutely unmarried womanfrom The BostoniansPhilistine decorfrom The Spils of PoyntonThe really richfrom The Wings of the DoveNew York identityfrom The Wings of the DoveA Venetian majordomofrom The Wings of the DoveLike a scene from a Maeterlinck playfrom The Wings of the DoveA private thoughtfrom the Wings of the DoveThe seduction of Europefrom the AmbassadorsA femme du mondefrom The AmbassadorsAn intimate recollection of a beautiful womanfrom The Golden BowlColossal immodestyfrom The American SceneThe individual Jewfrom The American SceneNew York City Hallfrom The American SceneThe absence of penetraliafrom The American SceneNew York Powerfrom The American SceneAmerican teethfrom The American SceneA young priest apart from the Roman carnivalfrom Italian HoursVIII. NamesIX. ParodyFrank Moore Colbyfrom "In Darkest James"Max Beerbohm" 'The Mote in the Middle Distance,' by H*nry J*mes"X. LegacyW.H. Auden"At the Grave of Henry James"Joseph Conradfrom "Henry James: An Appreciation"T.S. Eliotfrom "In Memory"Graham Greenefrom "Henry James: The Private Universe"Ezra Poundfrom "Henry James"Edith Whartonfrom A Backward GlanceVirginia Woolffrom "Review of The Letters of Henry James"Suggestions for Further ReadingSelected Bibliography

    15 in stock

    £16.89

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