Description

Book Synopsis
An impressive new selection of Henry James’s short stories, edited by Pulitzer Prize–nominated James biographer Michael Gorra

This 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.

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The Aspern Papers and Other Tales Penguin

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    A Paperback / softback by Henry James, Michael Gorra

    £9.49

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    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Tue 15 Sep 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Penguin Random House Group
      Imprint Penguin Classics
      Published 26 June 2014
      ISBN-13 9780141389790
      978-0141389790
      ISBN-10 0141389796
      Also in:
      Anthologies & Short Stories Books by Henry James

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      An impressive new selection of Henry James’s short stories, edited by Pulitzer Prize–nominated James biographer Michael Gorra

      This 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

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