This pair of novellas from author W. W. Jacobs will please fans of both his horror and his humor. The Skipper's Wooing is an uproariously hilarious account of the courtship between one Captain Wilson and his beloved Annis Gething. The Brown Man's Servant finds Jacobs delving into the uncanny, in the vein of his most enduring tale, "The Monkey's Paw."
In this engaging tale from popular short-story writer W. W. Jacobs, a family bands together to crack the case of a missing piece of jewelry, attempting to catch the thief red-handed. But when they set their plan into motion, it quickly spirals out of control.
Though set on dry land, W. W. Jacob's charming tale Admiral Peters is shot through with the salty dialect and rough humor of lifelong sailors. An admiral pays a visit to one of his men, now retired, and amidst a night of revelry and nostalgia, an odd love triangle is formed. Will the two former shipmates be able to iron out their differences?
Brace yourself for nearly unbearable suspense in this classic horror tale from British author W.W. Jacobs. Virtually everyone has fantasized about what it would be like to be granted three wishes by a magical being. But what if the cost of having your dreams come true was a horrible toll you never expected? This iconic short story is a must-read for fans of the horror genre.
This charming and thoroughly entertaining collection of interwoven short tales from W. W. Jacobs all spring from the same fictional source: a nightwatchman on the docks who has lots of time on his hands to opine, philosophize and reminisce, often about his run-ins with unruly sailors.
Part of W. W. Jacobs' series of short tales featuring the observations and memories of a nightwatchman, "The Guardian Angel" finds our hero pondering the nature of charity and good works. The action of the tale centers around a conflict between friends that ended in an unexpected manner.
The publication of this collection of short stories marked a turning point in author W. W. Jacobs' literary career. The book was a major success, and it was at this point that Jacobs turned his attention to writing as his full-time profession. Sea Urchins contains a variety of humorous tales set on ships at sea and the wharves of London.
Though he is best remembered for the macabre tale "The Monkey's Paw," many of British author W. W. Jacobs' stories are about sailors and life on the sea. "Good Intentions" was originally released as part of Jacobs' 1911 collection Ship's Company.
A man named Mr. Billings has hit rock-bottom and tries to turn over a new leaf with the help of his friends and family, giving up his love of fisticuffs and bar fights and cutting back on the booze. But when circumstances change, Billings finds that pacifism isn't always the best approach.
Notorious miser Mr. Lister is shown the error of his ways by his fellow sailors and finally bucks his lifelong habit of cadging drinks. Around the same time, an unusual friendship springs up between Lister and the ship's new cook. Is there a connection between these two events?
Many of Jacobs' most popular short stories are included in this wide-ranging collection, including, most notably, the horror tale The Monkey's Paw. Other stories run the gamut from life on a ship at sea to ghost stories and apparitions. Jacobs was a master of the form, and the stories collected in The Lady of the Barge represent his finest efforts.
In this tale from W. W. Jacobs, a family that is struggling financially receives a much-needed windfall. But when the other residents of the neighborhood get wind of the good news, the family finds itself fending off a variety of schemers and plotters.
British novelist G. P. R. James gained acclaim on the strength of his sprawling historical epics that present a detailed account of what it was like to live during various tumultuous eras beset by conflict and change. In The Huguenot, James delves into the religious upheaval that gripped France in the 16th and 17th centuries as growing numbers of the population spurned the Catholic Church and embraced Protestantism.
In the long slog of the Hundred Years' War, the English forces' decisive victory in the Battle of Agincourt proved to be a key turning point. In this gripping historical novel from G. P. R. James, a tender human drama unfolds against the backdrop of the epic battle.
Author George Payne Rainsford James was renowned for his ability to weave carefully researched historical facts into compelling narrative formats. James even served as the official British Historiographer Royal for a time. This sweeping historical romance blends keen insight into human behavior with a deliciously dry wit.
Diplomat and author George Payne Rainsford James was well versed in historical research methods, even serving for a time as Britain's Historiographer Royal. In the sweeping epic The King's Highway, James unfurls a classic tale of two friends and the young boy who brings them together amidst tragic circumstances.
In the early 1700s, the cultural group now known as Romani had made inroads into much of Europe. In some areas, they were granted special privileges and dispensations; in others, they were mercilessly persecuted and even sold into slavery. British historical novelist G. P. R. James captures the shifting role of the Gypsy people during the period in this remarkably detailed book.
Today, the term "chivalry" has come to refer to small acts of kindness typically performed by a man toward a woman, such as opening a car door or offering up one's coat on a chilly evening. But in the medieval period, chivalry was a complex code of behavior that governed virtually every aspect of life. In this comprehensive volume, historical writer G. P. R. James provides a detailed account of the development and practice of chivalry.
In the late sixteenth century, France was rent asunder by sectarian squabbles as the Catholic establishment fought desperately to retain control and forestall the encroaching influence of Protestant upstarts. This conflict serves as the backdrop for the gripping historical novel Henry of Guise from one of the acknowledged masters of the genre, British writer G. P. R. James.
Renowned historical novelist G. P. R. James usually set his stories in distant lands and times far past. He deviates from this formula somewhat in the action-adventure tale The Smuggler, which centers around a nefarious criminal plot in eighteenth-century Kent in southeast England.
George Payne Rainsford James was a British writer who produced a remarkable number of historical novels and romances over the course of his thirty-year career. The sweeping epic Richelieu unfolds amidst the cultural tumult and political shifts of seventeenth-century France.
In this entrancing collection, author Grace James brings together an array of Japanese folk tales and fairy tales, all rendered in exquisitely lyrical language. If you're fascinated by the folk traditions of different world cultures, be sure to add The Moon Maiden to your list.
Henry James is widely recognized as one of the key figures in the American literary canon, but he was just one part of the brilliant and accomplished James clan. This moving memoir details Henry's early years with his beloved brother William James, the renowned psychologist and thinker.
If you associate Henry James with nothing but fussy, mannered drawing-room dramas, the novel The Sacred Fount will come as a pleasant surprise. During the course of what should be a relaxing weekend getaway in the country, the narrator begins to sense that something is amiss. The first clue comes in a series of ever-so-slight shifts in the personalities and behaviors of his fellow guests. Is it all in his head, or has he stumbled across a mystery?
Get acquainted with the work of one of the most accomplished practitioners of literary realism, Henry James, in this collection of tales. In "Flickerbridge," an American recuperating in the home of an English relative falls in love with the unfamiliar cultural setting; In "Mrs. Medwin," a social mover and shaker uses what some might see as a liability to her advantage.
In this tale from prominent nineteenth-century literary realist Henry James, an effort to resuscitate a foundering theatrical work serves as the backdrop for a burgeoning love triangle between the playwright, the lead actress, and the playwright's married confidante and mentor.
The novel The Spoils of Poynton represents a major turning point in the stylistic development of American literary master Henry James, as he eased into the tense, taut drawing-room dramas that would come to characterize his later work. The story centers on the struggle between a widow and her son as they decide what to do with the family collection of antiques, but under the surface, it's a brilliant look at family dynamics during a period of change, turmoil and shifting roles.
Like many of Henry James' tales, A Passionate Pilgrim plays on tensions between American and European culture. Two Americans living in England attempt to secure a contested inheritance before one of the pair, the destitute and terminally ill Clement Searle, finally succumbs to his illness.
What is the true function of the artist in society? Do fame and acclaim help or hinder the artist's pursuit of creative expression? These are the timeless questions underpinning this classic novel from American literary legend Henry James. The story follows the parallel career trajectories of two artists: Nick Dormer, who is trying to juggle both a political career and his love of painting, and Miriam Rooth, an ambitious young actress who will do anything to achieve success.
Henry James' final novel, The Outcry is a light comedy that will come as a pleasant surprise to readers who associate the author's name with the dense, philosophically inclined fiction of his middle period. Originally written for the stage, the story focuses on one British family's attempt to get out of debt by selling a treasure trove of historically significant artworks to foreign collectors.
Many of Henry James' most acclaimed works of fiction are set at the intersection between European and American culture. The novella Pandora takes its tension from the differences between the Old World and the New—as well as the surprising similarities between the two realms. Free-spirited American Pandora Day crosses paths with the reserved Count Vogelstein, and the two learn a great deal about their respective countries and worldviews.
Sharing a title with one of his own short stories, The Middle Years is the uncompleted third volume of memoirs from the American master of literary realism Henry James. He had previously published A Small Boy, about his childhood, and Notes of a Son and Brother, about his youth and young adulthood, but ultimately was unable to finish The Middle Years before his death in 1916.
Grace Mavis may be engaged to be married, but to say she has mixed feelings about the impending union would be putting it mildly. On the sea voyage to reunite with her betrothed, Grace is determined to have one last wild time. But when her behavior crosses the bounds of propriety, tragedy ensues.
In this tale from the master of subtle psychological insight, American writer Henry James, the narrator tells a story about a pair of star-crossed lovers who never find a way to make their ill-fated relationship work — and who punish everyone around them by constantly harping on the failed romance.
In this masterful tale from Henry James, an American student living in Switzerland serves as the lens through which James explores one of his most frequently revisited themes: the various ways that Americans react to European culture. In this story, the student encounters two different American families and contrasts their diverging views of continental life.
American fiction writer Henry James played a major role in shaping the literary sensibility of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, not only through his own stories and novels, but also with his insightful and perceptive literary criticism. Essays in this volume address a number of significant American and British authors, including Walt Whitman, George Eliot and Charles Dickens.
The Portrait of a Lady is perhaps Henry James' greatest novel. It tells the story of Isabel Archer, a young American heiress who "affronts her destiny". Dealing with one of James' recurrent themes, the American in Europe, and the differences between the two cultures, The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of the conspiracy to separate Isabel from her fortune and the value of autonomy and accountability.
The Moreen family is a loathsome crew of greedy, dishonorable, self-serving twits—with the notable exception of one brilliant, earnest eleven-year-old son, Morgan. When the Moreens secure the services of a young tutor, Pemberton, to guide Morgan's studies (with no intention of ever paying him, of course), the two develop a deep and lasting friendship. Will Pemberton be able to save Morgan from the influence of his family before it's too late?
This perfectly wrought little tale of a painter struggling with his muse brings together a number of the most important themes that renowned American writer Henry James returned to again and again in his work—the difficulty of artistic expression, the meaning of truth, and conflict between socioeconomic classes.
In the work of renowned American fiction writer Henry James, romantic relationships are often complicated by issues of finances and social standing. Those problems definitely surface in the tale "The Marriages," in which a widow and widower's shot at love is destroyed beyond repair by a vengeful, paranoid daughter.
In this lighthearted comedic novel from author Henry James, the august Proberts clan finds itself thrust into the unwelcome glare of the spotlight when tabloid newspaper The Reverberator publishes some of the family's dirty laundry. When the identity of the person who leaked the news is revealed, all hell breaks loose. Will they ever be able to overlook this grievous lapse of decorum and restore peace in the family?
A down-on-his-luck writer makes an impulsive decision to buy a secondhand desk, and in its nooks and crannies, he finds a cache of secret documents that contain explosive secrets that could besmirch the legacy of a prominent politician. Will he leverage his findings to make an easy buck?
In this beautifully wrought novel from master of American fiction Henry James, a talented young sculptor is taken under the wing of a rich and powerful patron who attempts to help foster the full emergence of the sculptor's creative prowess by setting him up in grand style in Italy. However, plans rarely go off as conceived, and before long, the sculptor Roderick finds himself unable to work and in love with the wrong woman.
The Turn of the Screw is s ghostly Gothic tale by Henry James. A masterpiece in ambivalence and the uncanny, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young woman who is hired as governess to two seemingly innocent children in an isolated country house. As the tale progresses she begins to see the ghost of her dead predecessor. Or does she? The story is so ambivalent and eerie, such a psychological thriller, that few can agree on exactly what takes place. James masters "the strange and sinister embroidered on the very type of the normal and easy" in this chilling Victorian classic.
Like many of Henry James' short stories, The Figure in the Carpet revolves around an artist whose body of work hides a deeper meaning and several other characters who bear the heavy burden of a momentous secret. When a group of friends unlocks the true significance of a misunderstood novelist's oeuvre, the weight of this knowledge bears unforeseen—and terrible—consequences.
Written during his convalescence as James recovered from an illness, the stories collected in The Finer Grain embody the strengths of the author's late period. Though not quite as hauntingly complex as novels such as The Portrait of a Lady or The Wings of the Dove, these shorter pieces stand as a testament to Henry James' significance as a major literary force in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.
Washington Square by Henry James is the story of the gentle, dull Catherine Sloper who falls for the ambivalent Morris Townsend, who her father believes is a fortune hunter. When Catherine's father refuses to countenance the marriage and threatens to disinherit her if she proceeds, the dutiful Catherine is unable to choose between her father and the man of her dreams. Often compared to Austen for the precision and elegance of the prose Washington Square is a beautiful tragicomic story that is one of James' bestloved novels.
Though Henry James is best remembered as a titan of nineteenth-century American literature and an important innovator in the domain of literary realism, he was also a key figure in the literary criticism of the period and helped to shape the era's critical sensibility. In this fascinating volume, James focuses his critical lens on Nathaniel Hawthorne, his creative forebear, who many regard as one of James' only true literary equals in the American canon.
Often regarded as one of the most important literary figures of his era, American-born author Henry James possessed a unique knack for describing the idiosyncrasies of dysfunctional families. The Ambient family at the center of the novella The Author of Beltraffio ranks among his most compelling creations. The patriarch Mark Ambient is an acclaimed novelist whose wife strongly disapproves of his work. Will this discordance bring the family to its knees?
One of Henry James' specialties is the longish short story that delves into philosophical questions via detailed character studies, and Eugene Pickering is a perfect example of this. In it, James compares and contrasts two archetypes: a bookish scholar who has remained largely sheltered for most of his life and a streetwise "doer" who is deeply engaged with the world around him. Which of these approaches represents the best way to live? As always, James entrusts the final judgment to his readers.
Sometimes, it's not the lingering relationships that stick in our memories, but rather the brief, fleeting encounters. In the brilliant short story Four Meetings, literary master Henry James explores an intense infatuation that ran its entire course in only four meetings.
This intriguing tale from American literary master Henry James delves into the age-old issue of whether beauty is a universal value or a matter of subjective perception. A well-born society woman makes sure that she always has a homely female companion by her side so that her own beauty will seem more striking in comparison. However, her plan is derailed when her latest companion is hailed as a beauty by everyone in her social circle.
Although he is regarded as one of the most important figures in American literature on account of his novels and short stories, Henry James was also a prolific writer of letters, sometimes penning as many as three or four in a single day. In this comprehensive volume, letters addressed to family members and literary figures including William Dean Howells and Robert Louis Stevenson are collected, spanning topics from the lofty to the quotidian.
The Golden Bowl is an intense, involved study of marriage, adultery and family ties. The central characters are a man and his daughter and James delves into their consciousness to explore the complexity of their relationship to each other and their respective spouses. The novel is often considered the completion of the "major phase" of James' career.
The American by renowned novelist Henry James offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the differences—and, though less pronounced—the similarities between American culture and European culture. Regarded as one of the most important American writers of his era, James' deft juxtaposition of these two cultural traditions—set against the backdrop of a subtly nuanced love story—will delight fans of literary fiction.
Rose Tramore, the quietly persistent young woman at the center of Henry James' novella The Chaperon, is every bit as memorable a literary creation as James' Daisy Miller, though she is that character's opposite in many ways. In the aftermath of her mother's bitter divorce, Rose helps her shattered family pick up the pieces and carry on.
One of Henry James' greatest novels, The Ambassadors is a dark comedy from 1903. Lewis Lambert Strether travels to Europe to find his widowed fiancée's son, planning to bring him back to the family business, but once there Strether meets with unexpected complications. Taken by perceived contrasts between European and American culture, The Ambassadors plays out a theme of liberation, from a stifled emotional life to a more abundant and gracious existence.
As the Victorian era drew to a close and the twentieth century loomed, women began to assert themselves more and take greater liberties. It was a shift that Henry James dealt with in many of his stories, including the beguiling novella Georgina's Reasons. The Georgina of the title is a mysterious figure who commits a number of transgressions for reasons that ultimately remain unclear. It's a masterful character study of the caliber only James is capable of producing.
Explore timeless questions about spirituality, love, remembrance, and mortality with this tale from the pen of Henry James, a master of psychological suspense fiction. The two protagonists featured in The Altar of the Dead have dedicated their lives to remembering those who have passed on from this world, but find that honoring the dead can make living one's own life to the fullest a challenge.
American author Henry James is regarded as one of the foremost figures in the genre that some critics call "trans-Atlantic" literature. His fiction often explores the tension between traditional European values and the brash, assertive national character of America. This epistolary novella captures the impressions of American visitors in Europe in a series of letters.
Regarded as one of Henry James' finest works, the short story The Beast in the Jungle centers around protagonist John Marcher and his seemingly bizarre phobia—a pervasive sense of doom that prevents him from living his life to the fullest and precludes the possibility of him ever finding true love. This fascinating read highlights the psychological complexity that has earned James' fiction so much critical acclaim.
Maisie's parents go through an acrimonious divorce when she is very young, and the court decrees that she will travel between them, spending time with each. They do not hesitate to use her in their war against each other, and she is neglected and abandoned by them as they each remarry and then take further lovers. The story follows her to maturity, when she is able to decide her own fate.
Part of a remarkably talented family, Henry James is regarded as one of the most important American writers of the nineteenth century. Although he is best known for novels such as The Wings of the Dove and The Portrait of a Lady, James was also a renowned essayist. This volume collects a series of essays about James' extensive travels in Italy, which were written and revised by the author over a period of 40 years.
In the almost-novella-length short story The Death of the Lion, literary giant Henry James pokes sardonic fun at the vagaries of literary fame. The author at the center of the tale, one Neil Paraday, is gushingly praised by the newspapers and journals—but very few of his admirers seem to have actually read his work. It's a thought-provoking look at the celebrity culture of the turn of the twentieth century.
American author Henry James often grappled with weighty topics in his work, and the story The Madonna of the Future—longer than a typical short story, but shorter than a novella—is no exception. Framed as an anecdote related among a group of men engaged in post-dinner chitchat, the story deals with an artist whose outsize ambitions and perfectionism have frozen him in a kind of creative paralysis. It's a profoundly thought-provoking tale that prompts important questions about the role of art in the world.
Long recognized as one of the most refined and insightful American writers of the nineteenth century, Henry James turns his keen powers of perception and observation to the case of a London telegraph operator in the novella In the Cage. Over time, the operator becomes adept at inferring personal details from customers' messages and develops an unhealthy interest in the quotidian lives of those she serves. A masterpiece of psychological subtlety, In the Cage is a must-read for fans of James' work.
Henry James' short story The Diary of a Man of Fifty is a moving and thought-provoking meditation on aging and coming to terms with one's past. The narrator pays a return visit to Italy, where he spent some time many years before, and revisits memories of an ultimately doomed love affair, some painful and some enriching.
A beautiful American girl, Daisy Miller, is pursued by the sophisticated Winterbourne, who moves in fairly conservative circles. Their courtship is frowned upon by the other Americans they meet in Switzerland and Italy because Daisy is too vivacious and flirtatious and neither belongs to, nor follows the rules of, their society. The novella is a comment on American and European attitudes towards each other and on social and cultural prejudice.
The Aspern Papers is a novella set in Venice. A young man travels to the city and takes lodgings with an old woman—the former lover of the dead American poet Aspern. The man believes the old woman still has some letters from Aspern and he ingratiates himself with her niece in an attempt to find them. Suspense builds around the motives and actions of James' masterfully drawn characters.
Though American literary master Henry James was an ardent proponent of realistic story elements that readers could relate to, many of his works also deal with the question of perception and how our senses and beliefs can influence the way we see the world. It's a running theme in the four short stories collected in James' Embarrassments.
This finely crafted novella from fiction master Henry James combines several themes from James' body of work: the clash of cultures between Europe and America, an uncanny encounter with a doppelganger, and a pervasive sense of unease and ambiguity. After living abroad for decades, American Spencer Brydon returns to his native New York to take care of some business dealings, but he soon succumbs to an obsessive preoccupation with his past life.
Tortured artist and brilliant conversationalist Frank Saltram has made a splash among the fashionable set in Wimbledon, and all of the society matrons are vying for his favor and lining up to offer their guest rooms to him. But is this self-styled philosopher all that he pretends to be?
Adolescence and the transition to adulthood are difficult periods for most people, but the stakes are even higher when you're a well-born young woman at the center of a complex and morally suspect social circle. That's the dilemma facing young Nanda Brookenham in Henry James' The Awkward Age, a dialogue-driven novel that some critics rank among the writer's most accomplished literary feats.
Young Londoners Kate and Merton are engaged, but have no money to marry on. When the wealthy but terminally ill American heiress Milly arrives in London, Kate schemes for a way to inherit her fortune. But when Kate achieves all she had hoped for, she finds that the money and the gentle, beautiful Milly have changed everything.
Because he's ranked among the most important American writers, many readers shy away from Henry James' work, assuming that it will be arduous and overly challenging. If you're in that camp, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this engaging and accessible Confidence, a tale of romantic entanglements that shift over time but ultimately fall into place.
A number of Henry James' stories and novels focus on the clash of cultures between America and Europe, and the novella An International Episode tackles this issue head-on. A pair of British gentlemen cross paths with a duo of American women and sparks fly, in more ways than one.
Henry James, the nineteenth-century American writer who was lauded for his skill with insightful, elegantly styled prose, was fascinated by the differences between Americans and their European counterparts. This theme was a feature of many of his works, including the novella The Europeans. In this text, James takes a comic approach to highlighting the stark contrasts between the two cultures.
First published in 1886, The Bostonians is one of James' wittiest social satires. It begins with the arrival in Boston of Basil Ransom, in search of a career. The book turns on the relationship between Ransom, a conservative civil war veteran, his feminist cousin Olive Chancellor, and Verena Tarrant, a newcomer to their circle whose affections are sought by both Olive and Basil.
James' ambivalence towards the reformist movement is made plain in this novel, which is crowded with eccentric and colourful characters. The narrative moves us in turns to sneer at the Boston reformers and to sympathise with Olive as she struggles to keep the reformist flame burning in her protege's heart.
Looking for some spooky stories to read on a camping trip, at a Halloween party, or at home with the family in front of a roaring fire? The works of medieval scholar M.R. James should fit the bill. James often said that he wrote his stories to be read aloud, so snuggle up and lose yourself in their slow-building suspense and lulling language.
Are you the type who loves nothing more than curling up with a book of ghost stories? If so, be sure to add A Thin Ghost and Others to your must-read list. A gem from the golden age of Gothic horror, these spine-tingling tales will satisfy your craving for ghoulishly top-notch fiction.
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