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The Aspern Papers and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics)
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Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Henry James
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
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Our Price: $6.95
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Henry James
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Average Customer Rating:
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The Aspern Papers and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780192836168
ISBN: 0192836161
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 254
Publication Date: 2000-08-24
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780192836168
ISBN: 0192836161
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 254
Publication Date: 2000-08-24
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Editorial Review of The Aspern Papers and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics)
An American editor with an enthusiasm for the works of Jeffrey Aspern, a romantic poet of the early 19th century, goes to Venice to acquire the letters that Aspern wrote to his mistress, a Miss Bordereau, whom he called "Juliana." Under an assumed name he rents a suite in the ancient palace where she lives in poverty and seclusion with her niece, Miss Tina. He finds that the old lady is shrewd and haughty and accepts him as a lodger only to put aside money for the future of Miss Tina, a timid, unattractive spinster much in awe of her aunt. During his residence with them, the editor wins the friendship of Miss Tina, to whom he reveals his mission. Leaving Venice for a fortnight, he returns to find that Miss Bordereau has died. Miss Tina, who is clearly in love, welcomes him expectantly, but confesses that she could only give him the papers if he were "a relative."
In addition to "The Aspern Papers," this collection contains "The Private Life," "The Middle Years," and "The Death of the Lion," as well as prefaces by Henry James, a chronology of his life, and editor's notes.
In addition to "The Aspern Papers," this collection contains "The Private Life," "The Middle Years," and "The Death of the Lion," as well as prefaces by Henry James, a chronology of his life, and editor's notes.
Customer Reviews of The Aspern Papers and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics)
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: One of the Master's Very Best
Review: "The Aspern Papers" is one of Henry James's very best works, which makes it one of the best works in all of American literature. A lovely, slightly Gothic, highly evocative novella, it floats along on James's prose like a gondola upon one of Venice's less trafficked canals. It should be as well-known as "Daisy Miller" or "The Portrait of a Lady." Back in the day (that means the 1990's, to all you tragically unhip), this would've made a great Merchant-Ivory movie.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Civilization and Its Discontents
Review: The Aspern Papers is a brilliant story that concentrates everything great about Henry James in one brisk addictive read. James had such a deep feeling for the ornate social niceties of his day that he was able to poke fun of them while still respecting their essential decency--he seemed to understand the greed and brutality they kept in check. Our unnamed narrator's quest to outfox a great poet's elderly mistress and lay ahold of her onetime lover's papers unfolds in a languid world of gondolas, decaying Venetian palazzos, hot evenings in overgrown gardens, and above all a comfortable leisure that allows the smallest social gestures to take on earth-shaking significance.
James had an uncanny ability to make that world come alive, bringing you into its subtleties and rites, while at the same time taking you behind the elegant façade to expose the aggression, cupidity, and naked power politics that lurk just beneath the impeccable manners. Our narrator wants the papers; the mistress wants money for her niece, and the niece ... well, order this book and read on to find out. You won't be disappointed--it's one of James's best.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Reader and Writer in "The Aspern Papers"
Review: I enjoyed this book, if only for the different manners in which they approached the role of writer and reader(or non-reader in the case of "The Death of the Lion"). The four stories "The Aspern Papers", "The Middle Years" and "The Death of the Lion" revolve around the extreme devotation of a reader and their relationship with the author. All of these devotees have given up a portion or all of their lives for the author of their admiration. The question is what are their (the admirers') true motives in seeking contact with the authors, and in the case of "The Middle Years" and "Death of the Lion", what is the purpose of the admirer for the author. In "The Aspern Papers" the narrator fights to get ahold of the author's private papers, supposedly guarded by Aspern's one-time mistress. Like "Death of the Lion", it discusses to what extent the narrator or main character can rightfully claim ownership of an author and his or her works. In "Death of the Lion", told from the perspective of an expoitive newspaper man who fell in love with the author and his works, the role of the writer and reader is broken into opposing admirers: Those who admire the writer for his works, and those who admire him for the social status he can offer them. It asks the question who is most deserving of the author's time and respect, if anyone is at all. The Middle Years switches perspectives to that of the author who only now, when the time remaining for him is shorter, has he really learned how to right. He gains a devotee who he sees as a provider of an extension. The story discusses the relationship between the two. Finally is "The Private Life", which revolves around contrasting roles. It discusses characters and whether or not their outward appearances are the true personality.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Brilliant and also heartbreaking
Review: The title novella here is one of the finest examples of the entire genre. The questions underlying the narrator's intended crime (such as the problems of literary propriety, the "hauntedness" scholars feel from their literary subjects) are exquisitely handled... yet even so this story wouldn't be nearly so memorable if its expert treatment of Miss Tina's anguish weren't rendered so vividly. Her confession scene ("I can't go on... I'm too ashamed!") is one of the most moving things James ever wrote, equalled only by her strange surmounting of that anguish later in the book and by the narrator's rueful closing words.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Intense story about a manipulative publisher
Review: This is a fascinating, somewhat mystifying story about an American publisher who wants findsome long lost papers of an almost forgetten poet Jeffrey Aspern. The narrator finds his long ago mistress living in poverty in Venice. The reader is not only treated to this rather mysterious tale about the mistress Juliana Bordereau and her equally strange niece,Tina, but to a wonderful picture of l9th centurey Venice. The narrator behaves in a hypocritcal fashion, tryimg to get the papers of Aspern away from these two women. Henry James is his usual rather verbose mode of writing,but I found the book's tale pushing me to the end. 99bjb@mediaone.net
Review Summary: One of the Master's Very Best
Review: "The Aspern Papers" is one of Henry James's very best works, which makes it one of the best works in all of American literature. A lovely, slightly Gothic, highly evocative novella, it floats along on James's prose like a gondola upon one of Venice's less trafficked canals. It should be as well-known as "Daisy Miller" or "The Portrait of a Lady." Back in the day (that means the 1990's, to all you tragically unhip), this would've made a great Merchant-Ivory movie.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Civilization and Its Discontents
Review: The Aspern Papers is a brilliant story that concentrates everything great about Henry James in one brisk addictive read. James had such a deep feeling for the ornate social niceties of his day that he was able to poke fun of them while still respecting their essential decency--he seemed to understand the greed and brutality they kept in check. Our unnamed narrator's quest to outfox a great poet's elderly mistress and lay ahold of her onetime lover's papers unfolds in a languid world of gondolas, decaying Venetian palazzos, hot evenings in overgrown gardens, and above all a comfortable leisure that allows the smallest social gestures to take on earth-shaking significance.
James had an uncanny ability to make that world come alive, bringing you into its subtleties and rites, while at the same time taking you behind the elegant façade to expose the aggression, cupidity, and naked power politics that lurk just beneath the impeccable manners. Our narrator wants the papers; the mistress wants money for her niece, and the niece ... well, order this book and read on to find out. You won't be disappointed--it's one of James's best.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Reader and Writer in "The Aspern Papers"
Review: I enjoyed this book, if only for the different manners in which they approached the role of writer and reader(or non-reader in the case of "The Death of the Lion"). The four stories "The Aspern Papers", "The Middle Years" and "The Death of the Lion" revolve around the extreme devotation of a reader and their relationship with the author. All of these devotees have given up a portion or all of their lives for the author of their admiration. The question is what are their (the admirers') true motives in seeking contact with the authors, and in the case of "The Middle Years" and "Death of the Lion", what is the purpose of the admirer for the author. In "The Aspern Papers" the narrator fights to get ahold of the author's private papers, supposedly guarded by Aspern's one-time mistress. Like "Death of the Lion", it discusses to what extent the narrator or main character can rightfully claim ownership of an author and his or her works. In "Death of the Lion", told from the perspective of an expoitive newspaper man who fell in love with the author and his works, the role of the writer and reader is broken into opposing admirers: Those who admire the writer for his works, and those who admire him for the social status he can offer them. It asks the question who is most deserving of the author's time and respect, if anyone is at all. The Middle Years switches perspectives to that of the author who only now, when the time remaining for him is shorter, has he really learned how to right. He gains a devotee who he sees as a provider of an extension. The story discusses the relationship between the two. Finally is "The Private Life", which revolves around contrasting roles. It discusses characters and whether or not their outward appearances are the true personality.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Brilliant and also heartbreaking
Review: The title novella here is one of the finest examples of the entire genre. The questions underlying the narrator's intended crime (such as the problems of literary propriety, the "hauntedness" scholars feel from their literary subjects) are exquisitely handled... yet even so this story wouldn't be nearly so memorable if its expert treatment of Miss Tina's anguish weren't rendered so vividly. Her confession scene ("I can't go on... I'm too ashamed!") is one of the most moving things James ever wrote, equalled only by her strange surmounting of that anguish later in the book and by the narrator's rueful closing words.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Intense story about a manipulative publisher
Review: This is a fascinating, somewhat mystifying story about an American publisher who wants findsome long lost papers of an almost forgetten poet Jeffrey Aspern. The narrator finds his long ago mistress living in poverty in Venice. The reader is not only treated to this rather mysterious tale about the mistress Juliana Bordereau and her equally strange niece,Tina, but to a wonderful picture of l9th centurey Venice. The narrator behaves in a hypocritcal fashion, tryimg to get the papers of Aspern away from these two women. Henry James is his usual rather verbose mode of writing,but I found the book's tale pushing me to the end. 99bjb@mediaone.net