The madonna of the future,: And other early stories (A Signet classic) |  | Author: Henry James
Publisher: New American Library
Category: Book
Buy Used: $0.41
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Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 3084390
Pages: 284
ASIN: B0007DK1F4
Publication Date: 1962
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| Customer Reviews:
"...disappointment whistlin' round my back door" November 5, 2007
Robert S. Newman (Marblehead, Massachusetts USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
James, who is not known for his concise writing style, started in the same way that he finished, that is to say, he never, as far as I know, wrote two words, or even five words, if his ideal, which he gleaned from God knows where, that of putting in an extremely large number of commas, separating dozens of words, could be achieved. If you, the reader of my review, do not have a considerable tolerance for commas and prolixity, then I fear, much as I would like to predict otherwise, that you will tire of James' stories and turn, alas, to some lesser writer, but if you persevere, you will be rewarded because James is an extraordinarily gifted observer of human nature, a talent found in only a few of us, and not often today, when action of a sexual or violent nature has come to dominate most of what is referred to as "literature".
OK, that's my introduction. Yes, it's true that James is definitely on the verbose side. If you can get through the style, or appreciate it for what it is, you will be drawn into these psychologically-acute stories: a fickle, foolish girl learns constancy too late---or is it too late ? A man kills a boy by accident and winds up marrying the victim's mother. A commissioned portrait reveals an "unsavory" episode in a woman's past ("unsavory" had a much wider meaning in the 19th century !) but her husband, who had admired the portrait first without realizing it was his fiancee, marries her anyway, even if his image of her is now tarnished forever. Two erstwhile friends, living at the expense of an old man, compete for the unsteady affections and inheritance of their host. Then there's a romantic tale of an unhappy marriage in Italy in which the mistreated wife runs away to her dying lover in Switzerland. We read of the illusions of an artist who never paints a single picture in 20 years. A Roman nobleman, married to an American, is mentally captivated by an ancient statue dug up on his estate and can only be saved by drastic means. And last, the sad tale of a New England schoolteacher captivated and ultimately captured by Europe. In each tale, a flaw or tragedy creates the tension which pushes the story forward. Disappointment and disillusionment are found more often than happiness and triumph. Painting or writing is often a counterpoint or background to the story because characters seldom do anything so vulgar as working ! Horrors ! The theme that dominated much of James' later novels is already here---the contrast between America and Europe, the naivete and lack of culture in the one, the tired, world-weary sophistication of the other. In all, this is a book well-worth reading, a collection of classic stories of American literature.
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