Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Henry again

I picked up an odd little compendium at the library. Called Embarrassments, the book contains four long short stories by Henry James. I don't rmember having seen these stories collected in this form. One is "The Figure in the Carpet," frequently reprinted and often analyzed; it has never been a favorite of mine, but I read it once again; it's still not a favorite. The other three in the collection are "Glasses," "The Next Time," and "The Way It Came." "The Next Time is new to me. Both "Glasses" and "The Way It Came" are tales with what in the music business would be called a "hook." In each, there's a gimmick, and the latter is a ghost story of sorts. All four are narrated in the first person, although the last is framed. I'm now inclined to reread the novels; it's been quite a while.

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