Five volume henry james biography
Henry james biography leon...
Henry James: The Untried Years: 1843-1870
Edel takes a chronological approach to his subject, beginning with sharp portraits of Henry James Sr.
and Mary Walsh, before taking in the years of their son's life, from 1843 to 1870.
Five volume henry james biography
The first installment of this five-volume work ends with the death of Minny Temple, James's beloved young cousin, and with his return to Boston after a year's travel in Europe.
The chronological narrative is occasionally interrupted by sidebar discussions of significant events in young James's life, for instance, his nightmare based on his experience of the Louvre.
These discussions highlight what Edel sees as the themes of this writer's life. The nightmare, illuminated by other incidents, illustrates the fierce sibling rivalry between William and Henry, the latter obsessed with being second born, and so with being inferior to the elder.
Another theme is James's fear of female sexuality, a fear his biographer lays