Henry James and Revision

ISBN-13: 9780198128717 / Angielski / Twarda / 1990 / 392 str.

Philip Horne

Opis

At the height of his powers Henry James turned from the creation of new fiction to the `writing over' of his past works for the definitive New York Edition of his novels and tales. His anxious scrutiny of what he had written across his long career - up to thirty-six years before - led sometimes to rejection, but more often to a renewed imaginative intimacy with the creations of his old self through the intensive revision of his texts. In the first major study of the subject Philip Horne examines the revision of particular works, shedding new light on interpretative controversies (as with The Portrait of a Lady and Daisy Miller). He attends to questions of principle raised by the paradoxical processes of the reviser. Using much new material, this book tells the painful but impressive story of James's lifelong struggle for perfection, and illuminates his genius as a framer of sentences and a master of dramatic nuance. James's engagement with revision is connected with every other aspect of his achievement; it displays vividly and accurately his close experience of the life of writing.

Recenzje

'Philip Horne's Henry James and Revision is one of the better studies this year and also as deeply satisfying a treatment of this important Jamesian issue as I have read. First of all, it is a comprehensive study, incorporating a great fund of information and previous scholarship pertinent to its subject. Second, Horne exhibits simply exquisite critical acumen in his close reading of James's revisions, especially very subtle ones. Third, he incorporates an enlightening and refreshing allusiveness to the broader tradition of English literature when contextualizing James's revision processes. Horne, without being dogmatic, offers a persuasive counter-balance to the sort of 'hot' problematic-oriented views at present concerning James's revision process ...This book should be read by any number of American scholars who these days simply assume that the unrevised texts are fresher and freer of the Master-discourse.' Richard A. Hocks, University of Missouri, MLR, 88.2, 1993

Spis treści

Notes on texts and abbreviations; The New York Edition; Rights and wrongs of revision; Confidence in revision; Roderick Hudson and the beginnings of genius; The American: Henry James at work; Perspectives in The Portrait of a Lady; Revised judgements of Daisy Miller; The values of The Aspern Papers; A decent perfection: the lesson of the master; Last words; Appendix: Chronology: James during the period of the New York Edition; Bibliography; Index