What Maisie Knew by Henry James

The novel revolves around the life of a young girl named Maisie who navigates her parents' complicated relationships and multiple marriages. Her father's remarriage to Ida Farange leads to a custody battle, with Maisie being passed between her parents and their new partners. The story explores themes of identity, morality, and the complexities of human relationships through Maisie's experiences.

By Henry James · First published 1897 · Genre: Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction, Social Commentary · 31 chapters · 113,365 words

First lines

The child was provided for, but the new arrangement was inevitably confounding to a young intelligence intensely aware that something had happened which must matter a good deal and looking anxiously out for the effects of so great a cause. It was to be the fate of this patient little girl to see much more than she at first understood, but also even at first to understand much more than any little girl, however patient, had perhaps ever understood before. Only a drummer-boy in a ballad or a story could have been so in the thick of the fight. She was taken into the confidence of passions on which she fixed just the stare she might have had for images bounding across the wall in the slide of a magic-lantern. Her little world was phantasmagoric -- strange shadows dancing on a sheet. It was as if the whole performance had been given for her -- a mite of a half-scared infant in a great dim theatre.

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What this Textopian page supports

What Maisie Knew is listed on Textopian as a novel by Henry James, dated 1897 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Henry James
• Date: 1897 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Coming-of-Age, Drama
• Length: 113,365 words
• Structure: 31 chapters, 1,804 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for What Maisie Knew by Henry James
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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Genres

• Psychological Fiction — The novel delves deeply into the psychological development and perceptions of a young girl amidst adult conflicts.
• Literary Fiction — The book is characterized by its complex narrative style and exploration of intricate themes.
• Social Commentary — It critiques the social and familial structures of the time, highlighting issues of morality and responsibility.
• Coming-of-Age — The story follows the growth and maturation of a child as she navigates a challenging environment.

Tags

Psychological Realism · Domestic Drama · Marriage · Divorce · Childhood Innocence · Coming of Age · Social Class · Upper Class · Family Dynamics · Parental Neglect · Emotional Abuse · Trauma

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII
• CHAPTER VIII
• CHAPTER IX
• CHAPTER X
• CHAPTER XI
• CHAPTER XII
• CHAPTER XIII
• CHAPTER XIV
• CHAPTER XV
• CHAPTER XVI
• CHAPTER XVII
• CHAPTER XVIII
• CHAPTER XIX
• CHAPTER XX
• CHAPTER XXI
• CHAPTER XXII
• CHAPTER XXIII
• CHAPTER XXIV
• CHAPTER XXV
• CHAPTER XXVI
• CHAPTER XXVII
• CHAPTER XXVIII
• CHAPTER XXIX
• CHAPTER XXX
• CHAPTER XXXI

More by Henry James

• The Beldonald Holbein (1916)
• Four Meetings (1885)
• Roderick Hudson (1875)
• The American (1877)
• Confidence (1903)
• The Europeans (1878)
• Daisy Miller (1878)
• An International Episode (1867)
• All works by Henry James