Henry James

Henry James

Birth: Apr. 15, 1843 New York New York County (Manhattan) New York, USA

Death: Feb. 28, 1916 London City of London Greater London, England

Author, Playwright, Literary Critic. Born in New York City, he was the son of noted intellectual Henry James, Sr. and his writer wife Mary Robertson Walsh. During his childhood he spent time traveling with his parents to many of Europe's major cities getting his education from various tutors. From an early age he read and analyzed works of American and European Literature. He tried Harvard Law school, but decided that he preferred the study of Literature. He published his first work, a short story, in 1862, and then eventually became a regular contributor to Atlantic Monthly and several other well known literary journals. In 1871, he produced his first novel, "Watch and Ward". In the end he would write more than 22 novels, over a hundred novellas and short stories, several plays, and works of non-fiction. He was one of the major figures in Trans-Atlantic Literature which analyzed the interactions between Americans and those in Old World Europe. "Daisy Miller" (1871), "The Portrait of a Lady" (1881), "The Bostonians (1886), "The Wings of The Dove" (1902), "The Ambassadors" (1903), and "The Golden Bowl" (1904) are all examples of this type of literature. He also delved into the psychological dealing with themes involving the ambiguity of choice and the universality of guilt. His most famous short story "The Turn of the Screw" (1898) was outwardly a ghost story but is in fact an exploration into the secrets of a child. In his nonfiction work, he examined European travel, the works of "Hawthorn" (1879) and other novelists, French Poets, and visual art. He also wrote his autobiography. The area that he had the least amount of success was Theater. He wrote several plays, but most were not produced. James never married and his personal life seems to have been a question. He carried on affectionate relationships with both male and female friends but it was unknown exactly how they placed in his life. He was said to have been passionately attached to a male Danish artist, but how this relationship evolved is not really known. While born in America he developed a love for England and eventually became a citizen there around the time of World War I. He lived for a number of years in London then moved to a house near Rye in East Sussex called Lamb House. He ultimately died there of a stroke. He was the brother of diarist Alice James and the psychologist William James. (bio by: Catharine)

Burial: Cambridge Cemetery Cambridge Middlesex County Massachusetts, USA Plot: Prospect Avenue, Lot 1222

Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Jan 01, 2001 Find A Grave Memorial# 538

Photo Added by FAG volunteer Sean McKim, Ron Moody, Jan Franco Added to Geni by Janet Milburn 4/10/18

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Henry James, OM was an American-born British writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.

James alternated between America and Europe for the first 20 years of his life, after which he settled in England, becoming a British subject in 1915, one year before his death. He is primarily known for the series of novels in which he portrays the encounter of Americans with Europe and Europeans. His method of writing from the point of view of a character within a tale allows him to explore issues related to consciousness and perception, and his style in later works has been compared to impressionist painting.

James contributed significantly to literary criticism, particularly in his insistence that writers be allowed the greatest possible freedom in presenting their view of the world. James claimed that a text must first and foremost be realistic and contain a representation of life that is recognisable to its readers. Good novels, to James, show life in action and are, most importantly, interesting. The concept of a good or bad novel is judged solely upon whether the author is good or bad. His imaginative use of point of view, interior monologue and possibly unreliable narrators in his own novels and tales brought a new depth and interest to narrative fiction. An extraordinarily productive writer, in addition to his voluminous works of fiction he published articles and books of travel, biography, autobiography, and criticism, and wrote plays, some of which were performed during his lifetime with moderate success. His theatrical work is thought to have profoundly influenced his later novels and tales.

Other References

• "Henry James", Westminster Abbey

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Author, Playwright, Literary Critic. Born in New York City, he was the son of noted intellectual Henry James, Sr. and his writer wife Mary Robertson Walsh. During his childhood he spent time traveling with his parents to many of Europe's major cities getting his education from various tutors. From an early age he read and analyzed works of American and European Literature. He tried Harvard Law school, but decided that he preferred the study of Literature. He published his first work, a short story, in 1862, and then eventually became a regular contributor to Atlantic Monthly and several other well known literary journals. In 1871, he produced his first novel, "Watch and Ward". In the end he would write more than 22 novels, over a hundred novellas and short stories, several plays, and works of non-fiction. He was one of the major figures in Trans-Atlantic Literature which analyzed the interactions between Americans and those in Old World Europe. "Daisy Miller" (1871), "The Portrait of a Lady" (1881), "The Bostonians (1886), "The Wings of The Dove" (1902), "The Ambassadors" (1903), and "The Golden Bowl" (1904) are all examples of this type of literature. He also delved into the psychological dealing with themes involving the ambiguity of choice and the universality of guilt. His most famous short story "The Turn of the Screw" (1898) was outwardly a ghost story but is in fact an exploration into the secrets of a child. In his nonfiction work, he examined European travel, the works of "Hawthorn" (1879) and other novelists, French Poets, and visual art. He also wrote his autobiography. The area that he had the least amount of success was Theater. He wrote several plays, but most were not produced. James never married and his personal life seems to have been a question. He carried on affectionate relationships with both male and female friends but it was unknown exactly how they placed in his life. He was said to have been passionately attached to a male Danish artist, but how this relationship evolved is not really known. While born in America he developed a love for England and eventually became a citizen there around the time of World War I. He lived for a number of years in London then moved to a house near Rye in East Sussex called Lamb House. He ultimately died there of a stroke. He was the brother of diarist Alice James and the psychologist William James.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 16 2021, 17:07:46 UTC