Henry James Autobiographies Loa 274 Brother The Middle Years Other Writings

This extensive collection of autobiographical writings by the author of The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady offers a revelatory self-portrait and an inside glimpse into his famous family In 1911, deeply affected by the death of his brother William the year before, Henry James began working on a book about his early life. As was customary for James in his later years, he dictated his recollections to his secretary Theodora Bosanquet, who recalled how “a straight dive into the past brought to the surface treasure after treasure.” A Small Boy and Others (1913) and the two autobiographical books that followed—Notes of a Son and Brother (1914) and the incomplete, posthumously published The Middle Years—stand with his later novels as one of the enduring triumphs of his final years. Not only did James create one of the singular self-portraits in American literature, he also fashioned a richly detailed account of his renowned family, especially his father, the social philosopher Henry James Sr., his brother William, and his dear cousin Minny Temple, inspiration for the heroines of two of his greatest novels, The Portrait of a Lady and The Wings of the Dove. Rounding out the volume is a selection of eight other personal reminiscences and, as an appendix, his secretary’s insightful and affectionate memoir, “Henry James at Work.” LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

This extensive collection of autobiographical writings by the author of The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady offers a revelatory self-portrait and an inside glimpse into his famous family In 1911, deeply affected by the death of his brother William the year before, Henry James began working on a book about his early life. As was customary for James in his later years, he dictated his recollections to his secretary Theodora Bosanquet, who recalled how “a straight dive into the past brought to the surface treasure after treasure.” A Small Boy and Others (1913) and the two autobiographical books that followed—Notes of a Son and Brother (1914) and the incomplete, posthumously published The Middle Years—stand with his later novels as one of the enduring triumphs of his final years. Not only did James create one of the singular self-portraits in American literature, he also fashioned a richly detailed account of his renowned family, especially his father, the social philosopher Henry James Sr., his brother William, and his dear cousin Minny Temple, inspiration for the heroines of two of his greatest novels, The Portrait of a Lady and The Wings of the Dove. Rounding out the volume is a selection of eight other personal reminiscences and, as an appendix, his secretary’s insightful and affectionate memoir, “Henry James at Work.” LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Notes of a Son and Brother is an autobiography by Henry James published in 1914. The book covers James' early manhood and tells of "the obscure hurt" that kept him out of the Civil War, his first efforts at writing fiction, and the early death of his beloved cousin, Minny Temple, from tuberculosis In this second installment of his autobiography James begins to use family letters, especially those of his brother William and his father Henry James, Sr. James didn't scruple to "improve" the letters with revisions of his own, which has given Jamesian scholars something more to comment on. The book covers the Civil War years, which saw James' younger brother Wilky seriously injured and brought back to the family home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. James himself was exempted from service due to a back injury, the "obscure hurt" he suffered while putting out a fire with the local volunteer fire department. Meanwhile, James pursued his writing and earned his first fourteen dollars, which he looked at long and proudly. He began to place critical pieces and short stories in magazines like the North American Review, The Nation and The Atlantic Monthly.

''Notes Of A Son And Brother'' is an autobiography written by Sir Henry James in 1914. The book details James' formative years, including his initial attempts at fiction writing, "the obscure hurt" that prevented him from serving in the Civil War, and the early death of his cherished cousin Minny Temple from illness. James starts using family letters in this second chapter of his autobiography, particularly those from his father Henry James Sr., and brother William. According to academic research, James added his own edits to the letters. James continued writing while earning his first fourteen dollars, which he excitedly examined. He started publishing critical essays and short tales in publications including The Nation, The North American Review, and The Atlantic Monthly. William, James' older brother, was torn between art and science before deciding on the latter, but it would be many years before he achieved the famed philosopher and psychologist status. James paints a vivid picture of his somewhat eccentric father, who pushed his kids "be something" rather than settle for "simple doing," in his book. Before having a stroke in December 1915 and passing away three months later.

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.

Examines the heritage of failure and shame in the lives of Henry James (1843-1916) and his father, his strategies for self- protection and vocational success in his A Small Boy and Others, the biographical consequences of his autobiography, and the divided messages he transmits in his subsequent book about his brother. Paper edition (unseen), $23.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Notes of a Son and Brother is an autobiography by Henry James published in 1914. The book covers James' early manhood and tells of "the obscure hurt" that kept him out of the Civil War, his first efforts at writing fiction, and the early death of his beloved cousin, Minny Temple, from tuberculosis.

A Small Boy and Others is a book of autobiography by Henry James published in 1913. The book covers James's earliest years and discusses his intellectually active family, his intermittent schooling, and his first trips to Europe. This memoir tells of a precocious boy who loved the sights and sounds of his childhood but felt reticent about full participation in life. The note is sounded from the first chapters, as James recounts the limitations-and rewards-of the child he was: "For there was the very pattern and measure of all he was to demand: just to be somewhere-almost anywhere would do-and somehow receive an impression or an accession, feel a relation or a vibration. He was to go without many things, ever so many-as all people do in whom contemplation takes so much the place of action; but everywhere...he was to enjoy more than anything the so far from showy practice of wondering and dawdling and gaping: he was really, I think, much to profit by it." James clearly suffered from a sense of his inferiority in the "showy," active parts of life. His older brother William always seemed superior in ability; his classmates scorned his hopelessness at math and science; even at a party he felt too embarrassed to join in the dancing. But he still observed and fantasized about all his family and his surroundings had to offer. When a cousin of his was told "don't make a scene," he suddenly realized that scenes could be made by telling a story or inventing a play.