Selected Short Stories

The literary career of Henry James (1843–1916) ranks among the longest and most productive in American letters. The expatriate author, who ultimately adopted British citizenship, often portrayed the conflicts of American and European manners, morals, and world views. This original selection of outstanding stories published between 1879 and 1893 illustrates the master's talents to the fullest, offering ironic views of love and marriage as well as thought-provoking meditations on artistic and literary life. Five tales include "Lord Beaupré," which concerns a bogus engagement; "The Real Thing," an exploration of the tension between reality and artistic technique; "The Middle Years," recounting an ailing author's reflections on a lifetime of artistic achievement; "Georgina's Reasons," in which a defiant young woman makes a secret marriage; and the ghost story "Sir Edmund Orme," which features a specter who haunts a young woman to ensure that she doesn't repeat her mother's mistake.