Henry James: The Transatlantic Master of English Literature
Henry James (1843–1916), an author originally from the United States who later became a British citizen, is regarded as a towering figure in English literature. He was born into a distinguished family in New York City and initially pursued a law degree at Harvard before deciding to focus on writing. His early works, such as 'The American' (1877) and 'The Europeans' (1878), explored the differences between Old World and New World ideals. After relocating to London, he produced acclaimed works like 'Daisy Miller' (1878) and 'The Portrait of a Lady' (1881). The 1890s were marked by personal challenges, including the unsuccessful play 'Guy Domville' (1895) and the loss of close friends. His later writings, notably 'The Turn of the Screw' (1898) and 'The Golden Bowl' (1904), are recognized for their psychological insight. In 1915, he gave up his U.S. citizenship.
Key facts
- Henry James was born in 1843 in New York City.
- His father Henry James Sr. was a theologian; his brother William James was a psychologist.
- He studied at Harvard Law School but left to become a writer.
- His early novels include 'The American' (1877) and 'The Europeans' (1878).
- His play 'Guy Domville' premiered in January 1895 and was booed off stage after one month.
- He became a naturalized British citizen in 1915 in protest of U.S. neutrality in WWI.
- His late masterpieces include 'The Wings of the Dove' (1902), 'The Ambassadors' (1903), and 'The Golden Bowl' (1904).
- He died in 1916.
Entities
Artists
- Henry James
- Henry James Sr.
- William James
- Alice James
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Henry David Thoreau
- George Eliot
- Charles Dickens
- Matthew Arnold
- John Ruskin
- Émile Zola
- Guy de Maupassant
- Ivan Turgenev
- Oscar Wilde
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Constance Fenimore Woolson
- H.G. Wells
- Joseph Conrad
- Virginia Woolf
- James Joyce
- John Singer Sargent
- William James Glackens
- Ellen Emmet Rand
- James McNeill Whistler
- John Gregory Crace
- E.O. Hoppé
- George Alexander
Institutions
- Harvard Law School
- St. James's Theatre
- National Portrait Gallery, London
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- Denver Art Museum
- Royal Academy of Arts, London
- Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
- National Trust
- Library of America
- Project Gutenberg
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Washington Square
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Paris
- France
- Geneva
- Switzerland
- London
- England
- United Kingdom
- Rome
- Italy
- Venice
- Rye
- Sussex
- Lamb House
- Luxembourg Gardens