Take a photo of a barcode or cover
prairiephlox 's review for:
The Aspern Papers
by Henry James
This is my first foray into the works of Henry James and I read it concurrently with The Turn of the Screw, my preference for the second novel has perhaps affected my review of this one.
It’s certainly an interesting tale, and James makes excellent use of his characters to build suspense. I think that’s why I rated it three stars, I had far too many unanswered questions at the end of the work, and I was annoyed. Where did Tita’s money come from? Why did the Aunt refuse to speak of Aspern…etc. I loved his descriptions of Venice though, I loved the way he caressed the setting, and I love the essence of his characters- was the nameless narrator a character in his own right, or was his obsession with the papers a truer character, Tita seemed just as whispy as her confidence, and how could we have seen Julia as separated from Aspern?
It did bring up some interesting points that I’d never personally considered. James amassed many correspondences right before he died and he burnt them, and asked others to do the same. He didn’t want his personal letters making it to the public; he was fiercely private. James is now regarded as a monumental figure in the world of literature, a turning point for the novel; does the reading-world have a right to his letters if its helps illuminate his genius? Should those letters that he wanted destroyed be a part of his legacy? Do we have the right to know an author’s darkest secrets even if it has been a hundred years since he died?
It’s certainly an interesting tale, and James makes excellent use of his characters to build suspense. I think that’s why I rated it three stars, I had far too many unanswered questions at the end of the work, and I was annoyed. Where did Tita’s money come from? Why did the Aunt refuse to speak of Aspern…etc. I loved his descriptions of Venice though, I loved the way he caressed the setting, and I love the essence of his characters- was the nameless narrator a character in his own right, or was his obsession with the papers a truer character, Tita seemed just as whispy as her confidence, and how could we have seen Julia as separated from Aspern?
It did bring up some interesting points that I’d never personally considered. James amassed many correspondences right before he died and he burnt them, and asked others to do the same. He didn’t want his personal letters making it to the public; he was fiercely private. James is now regarded as a monumental figure in the world of literature, a turning point for the novel; does the reading-world have a right to his letters if its helps illuminate his genius? Should those letters that he wanted destroyed be a part of his legacy? Do we have the right to know an author’s darkest secrets even if it has been a hundred years since he died?