An International Episode - Softcover

James, Henry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 153087887X ISBN 13: 9781530878871

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

"Summer afternoon-summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." In An International Episode, Henry James introduces his readers to his bi-national world of love and nostalgia. Like in many of his novels, the book's main concern is about the interaction and the cultural differences between the Old World and the New World. Two British gentlemen visit the US and meet two beautiful American females who later return the visit in London. In addition to the romantic side of the story, the narrative focuses on social and cultural misunderstandings, faux pas and false friends, which makes the work very close to a comedy of manners. Being torn between his loyalty and love for his mother country and his longing for the European world of tradition and authenticity where he spent most of his life, James's work can be seen as an attempt to highlight the fundamental distinctions that separate the two cultures. Throughout the narrative and right before the sudden and unhelpful closing of the plot, the different characters are stereotypically presented; their manners, their social conventions, hypocrisy and prejudice are ironically highlighted, which makes of An International Episode an authentic reference that offers a balanced overview of British and American cultures and differences around the turn of the century.

About this title

About the Author:

Henry James (born April 15, 1843, died February 28, 1916). He was an American writer who spent most of his writing career in Britain. He is regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James. He died in Chelsea, London. His ashes were buried in Cambridge cemetery in Massachusetts.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 153087887X
• ISBN 13: 9781530878871
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 78
• Editor: Orphan Duke