The Author of Beltraffio

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

James, Henry, 1843-1916

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Author of Beltraffio" by Henry James is a novella written during the late 19th century. The story revolves around a young American who seeks to meet the esteemed English author Mark Ambient, celebrated for his work "Beltraffio." The novella explores themes of artistic genius, the relationship between an artist and his family, and the intricacies of social dynamics in literary circles. The opening of this novella presents the protagonist as he prepares to meet Ambient, revealing his admiration for the author and his anxiety surrounding the encounter. He reflects on Ambient's acclaimed novel, which he believes champions the cause of art itself. As he finally meets Ambient, he is struck by the author's complex personality-his charm mingled with signs of inner turmoil. The narrative further introduces Ambient's wife, Beatrice, who appears distant and critical of her husband's work, hinting at tension within their marriage. This early characterization sets the stage for exploring not only the artistic dilemmas faced by Ambient but also the impact of familial relationships on a creator's life and work. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Transcribed from the 1922 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price. Proofed by Chris Jelley, Micky McClure and David

Notes:

Reading ease score: 76.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Author_of_Beltraffio

Release date is 2002-03-01