Henry James and the Imagination of Pleasure - Hardcover

Hadley, Tessa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521811694 ISBN 13: 9780521811699

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Tessa Hadley examines how Henry James progressively disentangles himself from the moralizing frame through which English-language novels in the nineteenth century had visualized sexual passion. Hadley argues that his relationship with the European novel tradition was crucial, helping to leave behind the belief that only bad women could be sexual. She explores the emphasis James placed on the power of pleasure and play--themes central to his ambitious goal to represent the privileges and the pains of turn-of-the-century leisure class society.

About this title

Book Description:

Tessa Hadley examines how Henry James progressively disentangles himself from the moralizing frame through which English-language novels in the nineteenth century had imagined sexual passion. Hadley argues that his relationship with the European novel tradition was crucial, helping to leave behind a way of seeing in which only bad women could be sexual. She explores the emphasis James placed on the power of pleasure and play: themes which are central to his ambitious enterprise to represent the privileges and the pains of turn-of-the-century leisure class society.

About the Author:

Tessa Hadley is Lecturer in English and Creative Studies at Bath Spa University College. She has published articles on Henry James and on Thomas Mann in The Cambridge Quarterly and on James in English. Her novel Accidents in the Home is published in 2001 by Jonathan Cape.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0521811694
• ISBN 13: 9780521811699
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 214