Book Notes: Reading Henry James,
by Louis Auchincloss
Buy from Amazon.com
This slim book, whose title was not the inspiration for the name of this web site, is described as a “companion to Henry James.” Auchincloss, who passed away last week, long admired James, as well as Edith Wharton (he edited a couple of volumes of Wharton for the Library of America). In this book, Auchincloss gives uncritical overviews of many of James’ works, paying particular attention to the later novels, but also discussing James’ notebooks, his theater, and his late American tour.
Dedicated to “Leon Edel, fiend and mentor,” this book has a decidedly Edelian feel. Written in 1972, James’ was more or less “owned” by Edel, the author of the first serious biography of Henry. I won’t go into this book in detail, but I will refer to it from time to time when I discuss Henry’s works. I would recommend that any serious fan of James grab a copy, especially because used copies are available from Amazon.com for just a few dollars. I doubt this book will ever be reprinted, unless, perhaps, the Library of America decides to published some of Auchincloss’ work.
