BIB_ID
431149
Accession number
MA 1617.200
Creator
James, Henry, 1843-1916.
Display Date
London, England, 1879 February 5.
Credit line
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Description
1 item (6 pages) ; 20.3 x 12.7 cm
Notes
This letter is one of ten letters from James to Henley written between March 9, 1878 and June 21, 1879.
The year and specific date of writing identified by Greg W. Zacharias, co-Editor of The Complete Letters of Henry James 1878-1880 cited below.
Written from "3, Bolton Street, / Piccadilly, W." on stationery engraved with the address.
The year and specific date of writing identified by Greg W. Zacharias, co-Editor of The Complete Letters of Henry James 1878-1880 cited below.
Written from "3, Bolton Street, / Piccadilly, W." on stationery engraved with the address.
Provenance
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Summary
Saying "I am very glad to get news of you again. I had been wondering what turn yr. affairs were taking. You will say, I suppose, that the "turn" is wanting - they are too damnably rectilinear. I hope your play will indeed make a deflection - I will send you my book with pleasure; but I am afraid you will be disappointed at finding that the "other stories" are simply the "Internat. Episode", & one more shorter one. But such as it is you are very welcome to it. - Yes, I saw Edinburgh in September last - saw it & fell in love with it. What a picturesquness [sic] - it is quite operatic. Zola's play is said to have been tidied up into insipidity. Have you read his volume of "Théatre"? It is very bad, with the most fatuous prefaces; but if you haven't & will say so, I will send it you - I never read a word of Sacher-Masoch. I read very little fiction & I had been warned off from him. I never read a story unless it comes very highly recommended; but if you recommend S-M, I will try him. Yes the review in the N.A.R. was stupid. The human mind, generally speaking, is dull."
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