Art of the Novel

Critical Prefaces

James Henry

This collection of prefaces, originally written for the 1909 multi-volume New York Edition of Henry James's fiction, first appeared in book form in 1934 with an introduction by poet and critic R. P. Blackmur. In his prefaces, James tackles the great problems of fiction writing – character, plot, point of view, inspiration – and explains how he came to write novels such as "The Portrait of a Lady" and "The American". As Blackmur puts it, "criticism has never been more ambitious, nor more useful".

The latest edition of this influential work includes a foreword by bestselling author Colm Toibin, whose critically acclaimed novel "The Master" is told from the point of view of Henry James. As a guide not only to James's inspiration and execution, but also to his frustrations and triumphs, this volume will be valuable both to students of James's fiction and to aspiring writers.

About the Author

Henry James (1843-1916) is among the most widely read and beloved American writers. Among his best-known works are the novels "The Portrait of a Lady", "Washington Square", "The Wings of the Dove", "The Ambassadors", "The Aspern Papers", and "The Turn of the Screw". Among his many nonfiction works are "The Art of Criticism" and "The Art of the Novel", both available from the University of Chicago Press.

Reviews

"Taken as a whole, this collection of James's prefaces constitutes the most profound manual of the art of fiction in the language" – Nation

"In this volume all the Prefaces which Henry James wrote for the New York edition of his works have been brought under one cover. The result makes an indispensable item for every student or lover of Henry James and for all students of the novel, which James himself thought 'the most independent, most elastic, most prodigious of literary forms'" – Commonweal

"As the story of a story, each preface has its dramatic interest, and those who have not read the stories in the light of each preface have missed half the enjoyment to be got from them" – Times Literary Supplement

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