Henry James: Complete Stories, 1892-1898 (Library of America)

I like the used library editions best because you can mark the "notes" pages for quick translations with the satin ribbon as you go along. As for our Mr. James, who doesn't love him? Every elegant word, every paragraph throughout each story is filled with revelations on the Human species and the delicacy of life itself. We win sometimes and lose sometimes, but Henry goes far beyond the surface traveling deep into the motivation and unconscious of his characters with miraculous insight. His insight into the boundless elements within the human character is perhaps what led his brother into ground breaking medical/psychiatric insights as well, talents within the James family that suggest such brilliance has genetic roots.I'm in the fourth book of his short stories, working my way happily toward the fifth and final. But with Henry James, there is no final chapter because when you finish the five, it is irresistible that you return to the first, and then your favorites and of course, his novels, during which you get to savor and thrill all over again to his magnificent arrangement of words, his mind and his unique style.

For a lot of readers, this might be James's "sweet spot" -- fully mature and completely masterly in his handling of subtle and complex emotional and psychological states and social circumstances, but not quite as challenging to read as in his later work. Some of the stories here are well-known -- "The Death of the Lion," "The Middle Years," "The Figure in the Carpet," "The Turn of the Screw," "The Real Thing," e.g. -- but some of the lesser-known stories ("The Next Time," a comedy about a literary failure who keeps chasing a popular readership but turns out unpopular masterpiece after unpopular masterpiece, e.g.) are real gems as well.

Why is Amazon listing this book, Henry James: Complete Stories 1892-98 as available new? I ordered it in February and never received it. Amazon notified me frequently of continuing delays and, then, a few weeks ago cancelled the order, the book being unavailable. This is one of two volumes of James's stories which Amazon lists but has been unable to provide. I've written the same review for the other one.I have since ordered a used copy and received it without delay!The stories, of course, all five volumes are perfection, delight, wondrous! The edition is beautiful: print is very small and on thin paper but still easy to read. The hardback bindings hold the pages together securely yet allow the reader to hold the book open without a lot of effort. The little ribbon marker is a nice touch.

The writing style is highly intelligent but economically written. If reading a book in one day is your preference, then realize that Henry James' book will require additional time to enjoy.

Book was practically new! Thanks so much.

Although one critic suggested that James always chewed more than he bit off, I enjoy his chewing. Following dialogue is sometimes hard, but the stories are super.

I love the refined stories and the beautiful binding of the book. And of course also the printing and the fine paper!

During the 1890s, Henry James was a proper Englishman with special knowledge about the cousins on the other side of the water. Americans continue to crop up in the stories. So do ghosts. Several among the 21 stories in this volume 4 of LoA's edition of James stories have ghostly elements. HJ generally treads lightly in this field though, there is no cheap horror. 'Nona Vincent' is a story about a play and a platonic triangle between the writer, his lead actress, and his benefactress. There is a mild ghost element, or is it a dream? Very much tongue in cheek.At the time of writing this story, HJ was himself trying to set foot on the stage as a playwright. He failed. He was not destined to be a stage star. Several of these stories are stagey.'The Real Thing': a painter tells us of a couple whose mission in life is looking good for photos and paintings. Too bad for the couple that they are not good at it. This story might be considered funny, but HJ doesn't normally do Schadenfreude. 'The Private Life'. In a Swiss resort hotel a group of English tourists of the better sort meet 'by accident'. Funny, and a bit ghostly. We have a man who seems to exist in 2 permutations (the brilliant writer and the boring conversationalist) and another one who doesn't seem to exist at all, at times.'Lord Beaupre', a comedy about the marriage hunt. The scheming mother gets upended by her son and daughter.I find that HJ is at times entertaining even when he has nothing to say. One can still focus on the artful mischievous turn of the sentence.'Sir Dominik Ferrand', in the line of the earlier master piece The Aspern Papers, about the privacy rights of dead celebrities. Aspiring young writer buys used desk and finds 27 compromising letters written by a historic person. What to do with the treasure? HJ is a protector of privacy.'Collaboration', 'Owen Wingrave' , and 'The Wheel of Time' became a book together and I have reviewed it separately. An interesting but imperfect threesome.Similarly, 'The Middle Years' was packaged with 'The Death of the Lion', 'The Coxon Fund', and 'The Altar of the Dead' as 'Terminations'. I was less than enchanted with these stories, which are overcrowded and lack pace and simplicity.Then things look up again. The next 4 stories will be packaged together as 'Embarrassments' in 1896. They are fun. 'The Next Time' is a farcical tale around the question whether literary quality requires or maybe even guarantees lack of success. Quote: there are people who can't be vulgar for trying. Clearly about HJ himself.'Glasses' is a portrait of a pretty and naive young woman, a gold-digger.'The Figure in the Carpet' is a hoax of the kind found in the Aspern Papers.'The Way It Came' is a sophisticated and subtle ghost story. Or is it a story of insane jealousy? We will never know.Then comes the ghostly 'Turn of the Screw', a master piece of the genre. I have reviewed it separately.Followed by 'Covering End', a long story, a comedy about the old subject, Brits and Americans. It reads like a stage play and it takes an effort to get into. Machinations about ownership of an old mansion. Not convincing at all, ponderous language not matching the lightweight content.Finally 'In the Cage', another long story, about a woman who works in a telegraph office and who thinks about her customers' lives, based on the cables that cross her desk. Unusual for its working class setting, but not really convincing. Gissing would have done it better.In summary, while there are some pearls in this collection, the overall impression is a little disappointing.

A very beautiful book, inside and out, in great condition and at a bargain price.

Still fresh, still new, the work of Henry James is realistic and interesting with the hallmark of James's deep psychological insights. Wonderful to read such articulate prose that can still speak to the modern here and now.It's very easy to open one of his books and be totally immersed in another time that also speaks to the modern age.We should be thankful that Henry will always be with us.

Le livre est excellent, mais il m'a été livré sans jaquette, et surtout, avec une taxe de 11 euros, non comprise dans le prix d'achat. C'est une honte de la part d'Amazon et de son fournisseur. Se méfier fortement donc.