Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM15 April 1843 – 28 February 1916) was an American-born writer. He is regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth15 April 1843
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
black possession behinds
The black and merciless things that are behind the great possessions.
country writing civilization
The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to a really grasping imagination. To write well and worthily of American things one need even more than elsewhere to be a master.
judging pieces may
The power to guess the unseen from the seen, to trace the implications of things, to judge the whole piece by the pattern . . . this cluster of gifts may almost be said to constitute experience.
men infinite revealing
God's creature is one. He makes man, not men. His true creature is unitary and infinite, revealing himself, indeed, in every finite form, but compromised by none.
destiny men institutions
Every governmental institution has been a standing testimony to the harmonic destiny of society, a standing proof that the life of man is destined for peace and amity, instead of disorder and contention.
alive forget ignorance-is-bliss
When you forget to eat, you know you're alive.
responsibility discovery luxury
The advantage, the luxury, as well as the torment and responsibility of the novelist, is that there is no limit to what he may attempt as an executant - no limit to his possible experiments, efforts, discoveries, successes.
art life-is affair
Art without life is a poor affair.
england boxes conversation
Most English talk is a quadrille in a sentry-box.
waiting feels ifs
If you have work to do, don't wait to feel like it; set to work and you will feel like it.
way certain offense
She had a certain way of looking at life which he took as a personal offense.
character care take-care
Live as you like best, and your character will take care of itself. Most things are good for you; the exceptions are very rare.
dream believe night
Take the word for it of a man who has made his way inch by inch, and does not believe that we'll wake up to find our work done because we've lain all night a-dreaming of it; anything worth doing is devilish hard to do!
two understanding way
There were several ways of understanding her: there was what she said, and there was what she meant, and there was something between the two, that was neither.