The Complete Writings of Henry James on Art and Drama: Volume 2, Drama

A complete, fully annotated collection of Henry James's essays and reviews on British, American and French actors.

Henry James (Author), Peter Collister (Edited by)

9781107140172, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 July 2016

632 pages, 13 b/w illus.
23.5 x 15.9 x 3 cm, 1.12 kg

'Collister's thoughtful and thorough editions bring that intelligence back into focus, and remind us again that James' fiction is grounded in a deep understanding of human culture in all its forms.' Hazel Hutchison, Modern Language Review

Henry James's experience of drama began in the New York theatres of his 1850s childhood; in Europe he became familiar with the London theatre and the Théâtre-Français in Paris. He went on to experiment continuously with the 'scenic art' in his fiction, and to write plays himself. This complete collection of James's essays and reviews on drama discusses a range of theatre, including productions of Shakespeare, Tennyson, 'well-made' French plays and early performances of Ibsen. In addition, he characterises some of the great performers of the day, including Irving, Terry, Kemble, Ristori, Coquelin and Salvini. Readers will find James's texts as they first appeared, with a wealth of editorial support, which evokes the colourful world of late Victorian theatre. Many of the items included have not previously been available in a scholarly edition. The editorial apparatus includes a general introduction, a chronology, a textual variants section, and a biographical guide to actors.

List of illustrations
Acknowledgments
A note on James's texts
Chronology: Henry James's life and writings
List of abbreviations
Introduction
Henry James's writings on drama
Glossary of foreign words and phrases
Textual variants
Appendix: 'Coquelin'
Biographical notes on actors
Select bibliography.

Subject Areas: Literary companions, book reviews & guides [DSRC], Literary reference works [DSR], Literary studies: plays & playwrights [DSG], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]