THE AMERICAN

Author: HENRY JAMES
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1995-12-01
Features: Henry James's perennial theme - the contrast between American modernity and European tradition - is nowhere explored more eloquently than in The American. Christopher Newman is a rich American visiting Paris, where he meets Claire de Cintre, a widow of noble birth. He is treated at first with hostility by all of her family except her younger brother Valentine, and later tolerated only because of his wealth. By cunning and guile, Claire and her family evade and betray Newman. However, the discovery of a family secret offers him the possibility of a sublime revenge. In choosing whether or not to take this option, Newman becomes James's innocent American abroad, and Claire and her family represent the corruption and repression of the Old World and old values. The American is a masterful story of romance and an awry comedy of manners, one of James's earliest works to make this important cultural comparison.
Author Bio: HENRY JAMES (1843-1916). American novelist, playwright, essayist, and critic, he remains one of the most influential literary figures writing at the turn of the century. One of his earliest works, The American (1877), heralded James's rise to popularity and universal critical acclaim. The first English edition appeared in 1879, along with Daisy Miller, and paved his way to residing permanently in this country.