The Outcry

By Henry James
Introduction by Jean Strouse

The Outcry, Henry James's final novel, is an effervescent comedy of money and manners. Breckenridge Bender, a very rich American with a distinct resemblance to J.P. Morgan, arrives in England with the purpose of acquiring some very great art; he is directed to Dedborough, the estate of the debt-ridden Lord Theign. But plutocrat and aristocrat come into unexpected conflict when a young connoisseur, out to establish his own reputation, declares a prize painting from the lord's collection to be in fact an even rarer, and pricier, work than had been thought.

A popular success in its own day, but long unavailable since and now almost unknown, The Outcry is one of the most surprising and amusing of James's works. Here he explores questions of privilege and initiative, repute and honor, high art and base calculation, revisiting some of his favorite themes with a deft and winning touch.

Read the introduction (PDF)

Reviews

The subject... has been handled with ingenuity, not without humor, with a fine effect of sharpness and perspicacity. That is Mr. James's way. There are many fine phrases, crisply expressive, admirable flashes.
— The New York Times

The story is told with all Mr. James' delicate humor and gift for keen analysis.
— A.L.A. Bkl.

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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