51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

We will be examining Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady from several perspectives, starting with a close reading of the novel itself. As well, we’ll be reading Michael Gorra’s recently published Portrait of a Novel, which uniquely blends criticism, biography, historical context and earned authorial speculation as a guide to James’s life during the time he was writing his book and the ways in which his personal experience influenced the particular fiction he was creating. We might also be including other works of fiction and criticism Gorra mentions as relevant to a full appreciation of James’s masterpiece. This course will be offered the second seven weeks of term.