Henry james author biography websites

Henry James was a key figure in the literature of the late 19th century and early 20th century, serving as a vital bridge between literary realism, fin de siècle decadence, and 20th century modernism.

A prolific writer, he wrote fiction, travel writing, essays, book reviews, and plays, and is perhaps most well-known for his novel The Portrait of a Ladyand the wildly popular horror novella The Turn of the Screw, which was released serially in 1898.

James's father was a religious philosopher, lecturer, and writer, and invested significant time into his children's education.

Because of his father's profession, the family traveled to London, Paris, Geneva, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Rhode Island over the course of James's childhood, and James became fluent in French under the tutelage of instructors that the family hired abroad.

In 1860, the family returned to the United States and settled in New England, where Henry