Henry James: The Untried Years : 1843-1870

Rating:
Summary: Any Light Shed on H. James is Welcome
Review: Edel won a Pulitzer in Biography for this series, so perhaps my 4-star rating comes across a bit blasphemous...? Regardless, I'm clambering through my H. James [mismatched used-book] ensemble and am taking a breather to dig deeper into the author behind such ruthless verbosity (ie, The Golden Bowl); I'm soliciting facts without much attention to the delivery. However, Edel makes H. James into a clear, easy read--a stark contrast to the later-life efforts of his subject....

Rating:
Summary: Contents:
Review: The biography of Henry James. Covers his childhood with many significant and piquant details, and goes on to his youth, the highlights of which were the famous accident...which has given rise to a great deal of uninformed speculation...and on to James non-combatant status in the Civil War. Then the story proceeds to the events and relationships of James early maturity, his life in Cambridge in the late 1860's, his frequent travels, the growing attraction of Europe; his first flights as a writer and the establishment of his early reputation; his friendships; and the tragic story of his cousin Minny Temple, who came as close as anyone to being his first love, who symbolized so much for him, and whose spirit was to animate more than one of his heroines.