The Aspern Papers by Henry James

Name: The Aspern Papers
Author: Henry James

A young American critic travels to Venice to acquire a collection of papers from the estate of two deceased women who were once romantically involved with a famous poet. The critic's obsession with uncovering the truth about the poet and his relationship with the women drives him to manipulate those around him, including a beautiful and enigmatic woman who lives in the house where the papers are kept.

By Henry James · First published 1888 · Genre: Novella, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction · 9 chapters · 45,988 words

First lines

I had taken Mrs. Prest into my confidence; in truth without her I should have made but little advance, for the fruitful idea in the whole business dropped from her friendly lips. It was she who invented the short cut, who severed the Gordian knot. It is not supposed to be the nature of women to rise as a general thing to the largest and most liberal view -- I mean of a practical scheme; but it has struck me that they sometimes throw off a bold conception -- such as a man would not have risen to -- with singular serenity. "Simply ask them to take you in on the footing of a lodger" -- I don't think that unaided I should have risen to that. I was beating about the bush, trying to be ingenious, wondering by what combination of arts I might become an acquaintance, when she offered this happy suggestion that the way to become an acquaintance was first to become an inmate.

What this Textopian page supports

The Aspern Papers is listed on Textopian as a novel by Henry James, dated 1888 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Henry James
Date: 1888 CE
Language: English
Genres: Novella, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Romantic Fiction
Length: 45,988 words
Structure: 9 chapters, 710 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Novella — The work is a short novel, focusing on a concise narrative with a limited number of characters and settings.
Literary Fiction — The book emphasizes character development, style, and thematic depth over plot.
Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves into the psychological motivations and inner lives of the characters.
Gothic Fiction — The story contains elements of mystery, decay, and the exploration of the past, typical of Gothic literature.