Henry James : Novels 1871-1880: Watch and Ward, Roderick Hudson, The American, The Europeans, Confidence (Library of America) (Hardcover)

by Henry James (Author) "ROGER LAWRENCE had come to town for the express purpose of doing a certain act, but as the hour for action approached he felt his..." (more)
Key Phrases: elder lady, young sculptor, Miss Garland, Madame de Bellegarde, Captain Lovelock (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The first five novels of Henry James, presented complete in this volume, feature sparkling dialogue, masterfully timed suspense, and the romance of youthful artistic aspirations. The contrast between Europe and America, which gives a special dimension to all of James's cultural observations, is brilliantly deployed in these early works. "Watch and Ward," written when James was 28, is a Bostonian version of the Pygmalion story. In "Roderick Hudson," a headstrong and gifted young American sculptor loses his way among the temptations of Italy. "The American" was written in Paris and dramatizes a confrontation between the expatriate culture of American tourists and the protected world behind the barriers of old families and traditions. "The Europeans," by contrast, places two visiting European cousins in a pristine and conservative New England village. The little-known and charming "Confidence" is a light drawing-room comedy about the romantic entanglements of America! ns traveling through Europe.

From the Publisher
The Library of America is an award-winning, nonprofit program dedicated to publishing America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts. Hailed as "the most important book-publishing project is the nation's history" (Newsweek), this acclaimed series is restoring America's literary heritage in "the finest-looking, longest-lasting edition ever made" (New Republic).

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1287 pages
• Publisher: Library of America (November 15, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940450135
• ISBN-13: 978-0940450134
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #557,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some great early novels by Henry James, April 25, 2001

By A Customer

This book has five complete novels for one comparatively low price! "Watch and Ward," is a novel that James himself preferred to ignore as a youthful indiscretion, but I found it a vastly entertaining and suspenseful love story. Roderick Hudson is a compelling cautionary tale. The American is a gripping story that cries out for a movie version (in my fantasy Peter Weir would direct, and it might star Tom Cruise and Winona Ryder, although I'm sure many others would do just as well). This novel has love, a duel, a frightful skeleton in the closet, blackmail, Carmelite nuns, etc. The ending should be adjusted along the lines of the play version that James later wrote. The Europeans did not grab me, but Confidence is a delightful novel with something James later tended to avoid--a happy ending. This collection provides a lot of great novelistic entertainment for the buck. The way the Library of America does it is that for one they are non-profit, and second they use top quality thin acid-free paper, which allows them to fit five books into the space of something slightly larger than one thick paperback. The book even has a silky little bookmark to hold your place. Classy!