Meaning in Henry James - Paperback, by Bell Millicent - Good

BooksRun
(231530)
Seller's other items
Contact seller
US $16.86
ApproximatelyS$ 22.04
Condition:
Good
Breathe easy. Free shipping and returns.
Shipping:
Free USPS Media MailTM.
Located in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Tue, 25 Nov and Wed, 3 Dec to 94104
Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping service selected, the seller's shipping history, and other factors. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.
Returns:
30 days return. Seller pays for return shipping.
Coverage:
Read item description or contact seller for details. See all detailsSee all details on coverage
(Not eligible for eBay purchase protection programmes)

Shop with confidence

Top Rated Plus
Trusted seller, fast shipping, and easy returns. Learn more- Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:127264975680
Last updated on Nov 20, 2025 23:21:07 SGTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including ...
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.

Item description from the seller

About this seller

BooksRun

99.5% positive feedback•958K items sold

Joined Aug 2014
BooksRun is an online seller of new and used books and textbooks. Best prices for books since 2014, we're a one-stop shop for all sorts of books, from fiction to textbooks. We're constantly expanding ...
See more
Visit storeContact

Detailed Seller Ratings

Average for the last 12 months
Accurate description
4.9
Reasonable shipping cost
5.0
Shipping speed
5.0
Communication
5.0

Popular categories from this store

See allcategories
Other

Seller feedback (258,676)

All ratingsselected
Positive
Neutral
Negative
  • e***r (2733)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past 6 months
    Verified purchase
    I recently purchased an item from this eBay seller, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the prompt communication to the fast shipping, everything was handled with utmost professionalism. The item arrived exactly as described and was well-packaged to ensure its safety during transit. The seller was courteous and responsive, making the entire transaction smooth and hassle-free. I highly recommend this seller to anyone looking for quality products and excellent service
    All These Liberations: Women - Hardcover, by Aldridge Taylor Renee - Very Good (#145846730445)
  • 7***j (874)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past 6 months
    Verified purchase
    I recently purchased an item from this eBay seller, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the prompt communication to the fast shipping, everything was handled with utmost professionalism. The item arrived exactly as described and was well-packaged to ensure its safety during transit. The seller was courteous and responsive, making the entire transaction smooth and hassle-free. I highly recommend this seller to anyone looking for quality products and excellent service.
    Nixon, Vol. 2: The Triumph of a - Paperback, by Ambrose Stephen E. - Good (#405500349955)
  • c***e (34)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past 6 months
    Verified purchase
    The textbook was better than described. It looks like brand new! The price was appropriate for the type of textbook that it is. The appearance and quality of the textbook was impeccable. The shipping took about 2 weeks to arrive, but the textbook was well worth the wait. Seller packaged my textbook beautifully which ensured that it arrived unharmed and in perfect condition. Excellent seller! I would purchase more items from this seller in the future!
    Linear Algebra and Its Applications - Paperback, by Lay David C.; - Very Good (#126680792320)
See all feedback