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The Tragic Muse
Paperback / softback
Main Details
Title |
The Tragic Muse
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Authors and Contributors |
By (author) Henry James
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Edited by Philip Horne
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Introduction by Philip Horne
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Physical Properties |
Format:Paperback / softback | Pages:576 | Dimensions(mm): Height 1,Width 1 |
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Category/Genre | Classic fiction (pre c 1945) |
ISBN/Barcode |
9780140433890
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Classifications | Dewey:813.4 |
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Audience | |
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Publishing Details |
Publisher |
Penguin Books Ltd
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Imprint |
Penguin Classics
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Publication Date |
26 January 1995 |
Publication Country |
United Kingdom
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Description
'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'.
Author Biography
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.
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