Meaning in Henry James

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eBay item number:116816517401
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Item specifics

Condition
Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including ...
Release Year
1993
Book Title
Meaning in Henry James
ISBN
9780674557635
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Harvard University Press
ISBN-10
0674557638
ISBN-13
9780674557635
eBay Product ID (ePID)
548699

Product Key Features

Number of Pages
384 Pages
Publication Name
Meaning in Henry James
Language
English
Publication Year
1993
Subject
Language, American / General
Type
Textbook
Author
Millicent Bell
Subject Area
Literary Criticism, Philosophy
Format
Trade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height
1.1 in
Item Weight
13 Oz
Item Length
9.2 in
Item Width
6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Scholarly & Professional
Dewey Edition
20
Reviews
I admire Millicent Bell's eloquent, wise, subtle book. There can be no higher praise than to say it is entirely worthy of its great subject: our most immense writer and the questions about narrative method and moral intelligence raised by his work.
Dewey Decimal
813/.4
Synopsis
Henry James rebelled intuitively against the tyranny and banality of plots. Believing a life to have many potential paths and a self to hold many destinies, he hung the evocative shadow of "what might have been" over much of what he wrote. Yet James also realized that no life can be lived--and no story written--except by submission to some outcome. The limiting conventions of society and literature are, he found, almost inescapable. In a major, comprehensive new study of James's work, Millicent Bell explores this oscillation between hope and fatalism, indeterminacy and form, and uncertainty and meaning. In the process Bell provides fresh insight into how we read and interpret fiction. Bell demonstrates how James's texts steadfastly, almost perversely at times, preserve a sense of alternative possibilities. James involves his characters in overlapping scenarios drawn from folklore, drama, literature, or naturalist formula. The reader engages, with the hero or heroine, in imagining many plots other than the one that finally--and often ambiguously--emerges. The story arouses expectations, proposes courses, then cancels them successively. In complicity with author and character, the reader crafts the story in an adventure of constant revision and anticipation. Literary meaning becomes an experience as well as a goal. In the end, revelations and resolutions, even if unclear or partial, assume an altered significance in light of the earlier imaginings. Not surprisingly, James's deepest sympathies lay with those characters who resisted entrapment by cultural expectations--his idealistic free spirits like Isabel, his marriage renouncers like Fleda Vetch, his largely silent and detached witnesses to life like Strether and the generous Maisie. They are frequently the victims of callous manipulators who box them into oppressive roles or who literally "plot against" them. By looking closely at James's critiques of the "clever" categorical mind and at his loving and complex portraits of characters of unfulfilled potentiality, Bell celebrates the paradoxes of James's story-denying fiction. In extended analyses of "Daisy Miller," Washington Square , The Portrait of a Lady ; The Bostonians , The Princess Casamassima , "The Aspern Papers," The Spoils of Poynton , "The Turn of the Screw," What Maisie Knew , "The Beast in the Jungle," "The Jolly Corner," The Wings of the Dove , and The Ambassadors , Bell relates James's work to influential movements of the day, notably impressionism and naturalism. She examines the influence of Hawthorne, Emerson, Flaubert, Balzac, and Zola on James at various periods throughout his career. Drawing on rich traditions of criticism and on stimulating recent theories, Bell forges a critical approach both accessible and profound for this elegant reading of one of the greatest writers of this or any time., James believed a life to have many potential paths and a self to hold many destinies. Yet he also realized that no life can be lived--and no story written--except by submission to some outcome. In this new study of James's work, Bell explores this oscillation between hope and fatalism, indeterminacy and form, uncertainty and meaning.

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bluevasebooks

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Based in the growing town of Interlochen, Michigan, Blue Vase Books is a thriving used book business with a passion for connecting readers with quality, affordable literature. We offer an extensive ...
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  • s***e (46)- Feedback left by buyer.
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    The book, "The Unbreakable Brain," is better than "as described". It looks like a brand new, unused book in excellent condition, which makes it a super value for the cost. It was shipped in a protective package with free shipping, yet another super value! I am incredibly pleased with this seller, and they even sent me a coupon to buy four and get two books free. That's a fantastic gift and quite generous! Thank you for being an excellent seller!
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    Item came as described and the price was good. Could have been packed better, as the item came damaged due to the shippers not handling the box with care. Just a small dent in the corner of a box set for book series. Not the biggest deal. Bubble wrap would have prevented this.
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    This seller sold me a classical music piano book at a great price. Reliable, as-advertised product. Robust packing, fast arrival via US media mail, reliable, & affordable. Nice, pleasant, experience. Quality & Condition are superb, clean appearance & pages , well-cared for, smoke-free. As described & shown in pictures. Value surpasses similar sellers. No unpleasant surprises, good transaction. Highly recommend! Cheers, JD.