书目

The Lesson of the Master

内容简介

Tooshorttobeanovel,toolongtobeashortstory,thenovellaisgenerallyunrecognizedbyacademicsandpublishers.Nonetheless,itisaformbelovedandpracticebyliterature'sgreatestwriters.IntheARTOFTHENOVELLAseries,MelvilleHousecelebratesthisrenegadeartformanditspractitionerswithtitlesthatare,inmanyinstances,presentedinbookformforthefirsttime.ExemplifyingHenryJames'sfamousbeliefthat"Artmakeslife,"TheLessonoftheMasterisapiercingstudyofthelifethatartmakes.Whenthetale'sprotagonist—agiftedyoungwriter—meetsandbefriendsafamousauthorhehaslongidolized,heisbothrepelledbyandattractedtotheartist'sgreatsecret:theemotionalcostsofalifededicatedtoart.Withextraordinarypsychologicalinsightanddevastatingwit,thenovellaasksthequestionofwhetherartis,ultimately,demeaningorennoblingfortheartist,whilecapturingtheambiguitiesofalifedevotedtoart,andthechoicesartistsmustmake.TheexpatriateJamesknewthesechoicewellbythetimehepublishedthenovellaintheUniversalReviewin1888,andtheworkrevealshimattheheightofhispowers.

作者简介

HENRYJAMESwasborninNewYorkCityin1843,thesonoftheologianHenryJames,Sr.,andbrotherofphilosopherWilliamJames.HeenteredHarvardLawSchoolatnineteenbutsoonquittowriteandtravelinEurope–toParis,forexample,wherehemetFlaubert,Turgenev,GeorgeEliot,andZola.SettlinginLondonin1876,hegainedinternationalfamewithDaisyMiller,whichscandalizedVictoriansocietyandsoldthousandsofcopies.Neveragainwouldheequalitspopularity,buthisincreasinglysophisticatedandmeticulouslyobservedworks,suchasTheGoldenBowlandTheAmbassadors,establishedhimasthefirstmasterofpsychologicalfiction.HediedinEnglandin1916.

丛书

Art of the Novella

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