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February 06, 2005
Late James Reading
This is to propose that interested visitors join me in reading Henry James's trio of late, great novels: The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove, and The Golden Bowl. Please post a comment to indicate your interest and your ideas about when we ought to begin, and sign your comment with the name that you intend to use throughout the reading, and feel free to circulate the permalink to this invitation.
It is my hope that we can develop a way of reading these novels together without being on the same schedule. Although that might sound paradoxical, I think that it may work, and I hope that you'll join me in trying.
Further Thinking: I think that I've hit on a way to structure the bloguification, so to speak, of a group read while freeing it from schedules. Instead of posting my own thoughts and waiting to hear from other people, I'm going to set up a series of posts pegged to the divisions of The Ambassadors. Thus: "The Ambassadors I:1," for Book First, Chapter 1. The post will contain nothing but pungent quotations from the text. In other words, I will turn over the posts to Henry James, and comment on the novels just like everybody else.
This ought to work out so that any reader can join the discussion at any time. Simply scroll to the "chapter" that you're reading and say what you have to say. I'll send notifications of new comments to subscribers. If you'd like to receive notifications, simply enter your e-mail address in the "Subscribe" box on the sidebar, below right.
Extra Further Thinking: Although I am, after all, me (to tweak slightly my favorite line from Working Girl - and who could have said it but Sigourney Weaver?), I shall not be the first to comment on a chapter. In other words, After you, Alphonse. As soon as a comment appears in a "chapter" post here, I shall upload a post for the following chapter. Und so weiter.
Amy asks if we can't read something else, namely, The Princess Casamassima. That's a good idea for another Henry James Read, the Christina Light novels, of which the earlier is Roderick Hudson. We shall eventually read all of Henry James.
Meanwhile, this site isn't just about reading Henry James, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding. There will be postings about other things scattered among the James Readings. To see the Ambassadors postings by themselves, click on the Ambassadors link under categories. To tell a friend about the reading, however, I suggest that you send this post's permalink. This is where I'll do the housekeeping and secretarial.
There is no schedule. Nor is there a standard. This is a reading, not a critical analysis - although critical analysis will never be unwelcome. Start small; if you've read the novel before, venture a comment on the extract at the top of the post, about Strether's "double consciousness." My only advice is a bit of wisdom that I learned on the listservs: remember that other's can't see your face or hear your voice. You words are carrying the whole show. Try to make sure that jokes and jests don't need identifying emoticons. Henry James would have hated emoticons. (Although the argument could be made that his novels would be much easier to read with their support.)
You may begin now.
Posted by pourover at February 6, 2005 12:19 PM
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Comments
I'm in. I've retrieved my copies of 'The Ambassadors' and 'The Golden Bowl' and my copy of 'Wings of the Dove' just arrived from amazon. I could start next week.
Posted by: jkm at February 5, 2005 03:05 PM
This is a great idea! Unfortuneatly, I can't stick Henry James at any price, but I like the idea of an online book club. Good luck.
Posted by: Ryan at February 6, 2005 12:22 PM
I will be ready as soon as I get a copy of the book. Let me email you my friend's address
Posted by: Ms NOLA at February 7, 2005 01:53 PM
I love the idea of an online book club. all the fun of discussing books. None of the actual, you know, people!
Does this mean we are going to have to get through all 3 of James's late novels before getting to anything NOT Henry James? And why not read The Princess Casamassima instead of one of of those three? I only suggest it because I already have that book, having been inspired by a Lionel Trilling essay to purchase it, with every intention, of course, of actually reading it, which I have not done.
Posted by: Biscuit at February 7, 2005 06:49 PM
Dear RJ,
I like the idea of quotations. It reminds me of Matthew Arnold's theory of touchstones which is not as silly as people make out.
I like the idea of including _The Princess Casamassima_. And why not some of James's travel books? Say his _English Hours_? He has one for Italy and France too
Ellen
Posted by: Countess of T at February 8, 2005 12:11 AM
A discussion has emerged on a Henry James list:
1) A college teacher came on to ask for advice on ordering a decent edition of _The Portrait of a Lady_. One which keeps an original text and which has good notes and introdcutoin
2) Then people have been talking about which James novel the average college student likes -- and
which they dislike. Would anyone like to venture a comment on that here?
3) Finally, someone has come on to tell of the vehement dislike of James's style exhibited by some members of a college class she's part of. The members of this class had never to her knowledge before exhibited such irrational and overemotional
dislike. They had been asked to read James's _What Maisie Knew_. Myself I find his later style is very like the early one, just deeper, richer, with more metaphor, more psychological inwardness.
Ellen
Posted by: Ellen at February 9, 2005 02:19 PM
I'm interested. Now let me get the book.
Posted by: Winston at February 9, 2005 04:29 PM
Regarding favorite novels by Henry James, I'm reminded of Mark Edmundson's quite brilliant discussion of the way he handles student response to The Portrait of a Lady. Pointing out that almost all students identify with Isabel Archer, he calls attention to the harsh treatment that James metes out to her. He doesn't approve of her American carefree/careless-ness at all. But students don't seem to get this; they blame Europe or Mme Merle. Surely the author must love this lovely girl! Not so, says Prof Edmundson. (See his book-length essay, Why Read?)
Posted by: R J Keefe at February 9, 2005 05:12 PM
I think I remember thinking Isabel Archer was a bit like the girl in the horror movie who runs upstairs when she should run downstairs. "Idiot girl!" I screamed, as she rushed off to her doom. But I also have an instinctive reaction against male authors who make stupid girls do stupid things (very women's studies, I know...). I am glad the Ambassadors appears more to be about stupid American men. But I'm only three chapters in, so perhaps Miss Gostrey will overtake the book with her own monumental stupidity. In which case you might have to count me out for further James readings.
Posted by: Biscuit at February 11, 2005 01:58 PM