Colm Toibin

Nineteenth-century writer Henry James is heartbroken when his first play performs poorly in contrast to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and struggles with subsequent doubts about his sexual identity, his decision not to marry, and his difficulties with emotional intimacy. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.

A Novel

The Master

Nick Gracilla

The back cover compares this novel with Michael Cunningham’s The Hours; and so I bought it. But aside from a few vivid chapters on the incredible pain of the American civil war, and the grayness of Venice in winter, it reads as a deeply plodding novel of a deeply unlikeable American writer, trotting around Italy and the UK. 

James, who welcomes attention from men and women while returning none of it, betrays his only close and intellectual friend. This on the grounds of preserving his hypocritical undisturbed writing life. It leads to her suicide, despite all she extends to him, and a rather deeply sad chapter of his (mis?) handling her affairs. 

Mostly he fusses, inviting guests to his Irish manor while playing that turn of the century game of being coy about everything and sending letters. This is peppered with society life and house help troubles and private salaries and artistocrats… it’s hard to connect. 

A hard to enjoy read of a unlikable man during a hard to relate era.

Jayme Bosio

I gave this fictionalized biography (is that a genre, I don’t know) of Henry James three stars. Not because I didn’t enjoy it (I did), but because - much like Henry James - this book isn’t for everyone. There is no plot, but a beautiful understanding of human longing and sadness and resolve and all the feels. I always enjoyed that type of exploration, but I’m a bit of a weirdo.

The Master A Novel

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