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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
In the section of his Moral Discourses entitled How a person can preserve their proper character in any situation the Stoic philosopher Epictetus says “You are the one who knows yourself – which is to say, you know how much you are worth in your own estimation, and therefore at what price you will sell yourself; because people sell themselves at different rates. Taking account of the value of externals, you see, comes at some cost to the value of one’s own character.”
I cite this quote since, in my reading of this Henry James novella, we are asked to ponder just this question as we follow the narrator’s quest for papers and letters penned by the late, great poet Jeffrey Aspern.
The first few chapters are like a work of fiction written in slow motion. But then through a series of revelations the story picks up serious momentum having the pace and timing of a detective novel, all the while suffused in the signature elegance of the author’s language, as in this scene where the narrator takes middle age Miss Tina for a ride on a warm summer evening, “We floated long and far, and though my friend gave no high-pitched voice to her glee I was sure of her full surrender. She was more than pleased, she was transported; the whole thing was an immense liberation. The gondola moved with slow strokes, to give her time to enjoy it, and she listened to the splash of the oars, which grew louder and more musically liquid as we passed into the narrow canals, as if it were a revelation of Venice.”
For me, the real philosophic and psychological juice of this fine tale comes in the closing chapter. I wouldn’t want to disclose any of the luscious details so as to spoil a reader’s fresh experience. Highly recommended.
parte 1 de las lecturas de lite 2
ta bien no me encantó
no fue de tus mejores recomendaciones cari queiro (te amo igual)
ta bien no me encantó
no fue de tus mejores recomendaciones cari queiro (te amo igual)
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Gripping, leaves much to your own pondering. The narrator has a great well of feeling, but James writes economically. Most of all I was completely transported to this Venetian house through changing seasons.
i’m out here trying to write this stupid thesis on literary commemoration, reflect on extra-literary activity, articulate how people exist in respect to authors both academically and thru my own observations of what it means to enjoy good things rn, using up so many of my hours and words, and then it turns out henry james has already done it!! every damn time.
the best writer for writing about writing and writers from the outside.
the best writer for writing about writing and writers from the outside.
It's ok. Henry James is often described as having a timeless quality in his writing. I am not convinced.
The period shows on nearly every page. It's not just the propriety, servants, and idleness (James actually gives the servants more life than some of his contemporaries). It's not the plot either. You could bring Aspern's plot forward to the present. An amoral collector assumes a cover identity to get close to an old lady and her spinster niece in order to get a shot at some private correspondence from his favorite poet.
There is something in the narrators tone and mode of thinking that keeps it from connecting. I read Bartleby the Scrivener relatively recently. It's about 30 years older then Aspern Papers and is also a narrated account, and even though it's a bit stiff it easily transcends the 170 years to the present.
I also felt it had a stupid ending. It's a bit like the last scene in Titanic where she lets the necklace slip into the sea. It's not quite as bad, since Tina burning the papers is a "fuck you," to the scheming narrator rather than a total waste of resources, but its close enough to make a bad ending.
The period shows on nearly every page. It's not just the propriety, servants, and idleness (James actually gives the servants more life than some of his contemporaries). It's not the plot either. You could bring Aspern's plot forward to the present. An amoral collector assumes a cover identity to get close to an old lady and her spinster niece in order to get a shot at some private correspondence from his favorite poet.
There is something in the narrators tone and mode of thinking that keeps it from connecting. I read Bartleby the Scrivener relatively recently. It's about 30 years older then Aspern Papers and is also a narrated account, and even though it's a bit stiff it easily transcends the 170 years to the present.
I also felt it had a stupid ending. It's a bit like the last scene in Titanic where she lets the necklace slip into the sea. It's not quite as bad, since Tina burning the papers is a "fuck you," to the scheming narrator rather than a total waste of resources, but its close enough to make a bad ending.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
One doesn’t defend one’s god: one’s god is in himself a defense.
Hoping to get his hands on the famous poet, late Jeffrey Aspern's love letters written to his lover Juliana Bordereau, our narrator travels to Venice, determined to get the elusive papers in any way possible.
James's ability in developing his characters is as always excellent.
He will show you the famous sunsets, if they still go on- DO they go on? The sun set for me so long ago.