A Henry James Encyclopedia

(Hardback)

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Description

This brilliant, faultless, impeccably constructed work will maintain its status as an outstanding research tool invaluable both to undergraduate students and to scholars of James. It is unquestionably worthy of `The Master,' its subject. Choice Called a Shakespeare of the novel and America's only fully realized literary artist by Leon Edel, his prize-winning biographer, Henry James was also one of the most prolific American writers. His massive literary output included approximately 300 critical essays, 134 novels and stories, 15 plays, and some 15,000 letters. A Henry James Encyclopedia offers both the interested reader and committed scholar a wealth of information about James and his work never before available in one volume. More than 3,000 entries summarize each of James's works, describe every fictional and dramatic character in them, identify writers and artists James reviewed, discuss each important man and woman he associated with or wrote to, and define members of his extended family. The extensive encyclopedia section is preceded by a chronology that details important events in James's life. The encyclopedia itself is arranged alphabetically in one continuous set of entries, making it extremely easy to find specific information. Cross references are indicated by asterisks. In addition, twelve appendices list James's works, contacts, and characters by type (Plays, Friends of James, Actors, Actresses, Theater Managers, Composers, and Singers Mentioned by James, and so on). A bibliography completes the volume. The only book of its kind ever produced for an American writer, A Henry James Encyclopedia will be an indispensable source for Jamesian scholars as well as for students just beginning their study of his work. As such, it is an important acquisition for every American literature collection.

Reviews

. . . A truly extraordinary and useful work. . . . Here in one volume the master's friends, colleagues, characters, and works are identified and placed in context. Few aspects of James's career are overlooked, and each entry is thoroughly researched. . . . The Henry James Encyclopedia is a thoroughly useful and intelligent work. It is a necessary addition to any Jamesian's or any university library's collection.-Modern Fiction Studies
Though Gale concedes that in this book he has drawn heavily' on his 1965 Plots and Characters in the Fiction of Henry James, there is certainly enough that is new to justify its publication. Without critical evaluation, Gale describes every one of James's works, characters, friends, and relatives. He also appends 12 listings of Jamesiana as well as an eight page bibliography. Gale has long been a respected James scholar, and this massive volume, despite its price, belongs in every library where scholarly study of the novel in English is important. It is quite accessible, however, and would also be an appropriate choice for any library in which users are likely to need ready reference information on James.-Library Journal
With more than 3,000 entries, this is a magisterial compendium of knowledge about Henry James and his intellectual milieu: his publications, his plots and character, his friends and correspondents, his literary and artistic allusions, and his influences. An established scholar of James, Gale provides entries that are remarkable for their erudition and generous critical insight. Many of the more lengthy entries are actually concise articles, which reflect intimate familiarity both with James's works and with the massive body of criticism. For example, the entry on The Golden Bowl provides a perceptive plot summary that conveys the novel's exploration of the sensibilities arising from the human heart, then moves on to discuss sources for the title and the novel's initial reception; states succinctly the novel's themes; and offers guidance on literary sources and actual individuals whose lives influenced the creation of specific characters and the novel as a whole. . . . This brilliant, faultless, impeccably constructed work will maintain its status as an outstanding research tool invaluable both to undergraduate students and to scholars of James. It is unquestionably worthy of The Master, ' its subject.-Choice
." . . A truly extraordinary and useful work. . . . Here in one volume the master's friends, colleagues, characters, and works are identified and placed in context. Few aspects of James's career are overlooked, and each entry is thoroughly researched. . . . The Henry James Encyclopedia is a thoroughly useful and intelligent work. It is a necessary addition to any Jamesian's or any university library's collection."-Modern Fiction Studies
"Though Gale concedes that in this book he has drawn heavily' on his 1965 Plots and Characters in the Fiction of Henry James, there is certainly enough that is new to justify its publication. Without critical evaluation, Gale describes every one of James's works, characters, friends, and relatives. He also appends 12 listings of Jamesiana as well as an eight page bibliography. Gale has long been a respected James scholar, and this massive volume, despite its price, belongs in every library where scholarly study of the novel in English is important. It is quite accessible, however, and would also be an appropriate choice for any library in which users are likely to need ready reference information on James."-Library Journal
"With more than 3,000 entries, this is a magisterial compendium of knowledge about Henry James and his intellectual milieu: his publications, his plots and character, his friends and correspondents, his literary and artistic allusions, and his influences. An established scholar of James, Gale provides entries that are remarkable for their erudition and generous critical insight. Many of the more lengthy entries are actually concise articles, which reflect intimate familiarity both with James's works and with the massive body of criticism. For example, the entry on The Golden Bowl provides a perceptive plot summary that conveys the novel's exploration of the sensibilities arising from the human heart, then moves on to discuss sources for the title and the novel's initial reception; states succinctly the novel's themes; and offers guidance on literary sources and actual individuals whose lives influenced the creation of specific characters and the novel as a whole. . . . This brilliant, faultless, impeccably constructed work will maintain its status as an outstanding research tool invaluable both to undergraduate students and to scholars of James. It is unquestionably worthy of The Master, ' its subject."-Choice

Author Bio

ROBERT L. GALE is Professor Emeritus of American Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. He has written numerous articles, reviews, and books, including critical studies of Louis L'Amour, Henry James, Ernest Haycox, Charles Marion Russell, Luke Short, and John Hay.