The Tragic Muse by Henry James

The Tragic Muse by Henry James

'You must paint her just like that ... as the Tragic Muse' Suggests one of James's characters to Nick Dormer, the young Englishman who, during the course of the novel, will courageously resist the glittering Parliamentary career desired for him by his family, in order to paint. His progress is counterpointed by the 'Tragic Muse' of the title, Miriam Rooth, one of James's most fierily beautiful creations, a great actress indifferent to social reputation, and triumphantly dedicated to her art. In portraying the conflict between art and 'the world' which is his novel's central idea, James engaged obliquely with current debates on the new aestheticism of Pater and Wilde and on the nature of the actor's performance. Through the living complexity of his protagonists he reveals how much, as Philip Horne puts it, 'to take art seriously as an end in itself ... is still a provocative course'.

Henry James (1843-1916) was born in New York and settled in Europe in 1875. He was a regular contributor of reviews, critical essays, and short stories to American periodicals. He is best known for his many novels of American and European character.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780140433890
ISBN 10	0140433899
Title	The Tragic Muse
Author	Henry James
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Books Ltd
Year published	1995-01-26
Number of pages	576
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable