Henry James (1843–1916), the younger brother of the psychologist William James and one of the greatest of American writers, was born in New York but lived for most of his life in England. Among the best known of his many stories and novels are The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, and The Wings of the Dove. In addition to The New York Stories of Henry James, New York Review Classics has published several long-unavailable James novels: The Other House, The Outcry, and The Ivory Tower. »

Louis Begley is a novelist and retired lawyer. He has written eight novels, including Wartime Lies, About Schmidt, and Matters of Honor, which was published in 2007. He is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres of France and served as the president of PEN American Center from 1993 to 1995. He lives in New York with his wife, Anka Muhlstein, an historian of France. »

The Other House

By Henry James
Introduction by Louis Begley

This terse and startling novel, written just before The Spoils of Poynton and What Maisie Knew, is the story of a struggle for possession—and of its devastating consequences. Three women seek to secure the affections of one man, while he, in turn, tries to satisfy them all. But in the middle of this contest of wills stands his unwitting and vulnerable young daughter. The savage conclusion of The Other House makes it one of the most disturbing and memorable of Henry James's depictions of the uncontrollable passions that lie beneath the polished veneer of civilized life.

Oh blest Other House, which gives me thus at every step a precedent, a divine little light to walk by... —Henry James

Read the introduction (PDF)

Also see:

The Colour Out of Space
Edited by D. Thin

This new collection features some of the greatest masters of extreme terror.
Indian Summer
By William Dean Howells
Introduction by Wendy Lesser

Perhaps the most charming and memorable romantic comedy ever written by an American.
The New York Stories of Henry James
By Henry James
Selected and with an introduction by Colm Tóibín

An original collection of all of James's New York Stories.

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Format: Paperback
Retail Price: $12.95
Price: $10.36 (20% off)


Sep 30, 1999
340 pages
ISBN: 0940322323
9780940322325
Literature in English
NYRB Classics
Suspense & Crime

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