“Henry James …”

[Henry] James had a mind so fine that no idea could violate it.

TS Eliot

This entry was posted in writers and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to “Henry James …”

  1. The Books: “The Portrait of a Lady” (Henry James)

    Next book in my Daily Book Excerpt – on my adult fiction shelves: Excerpt from The Portrait of a Lady – by Henry James I’m not really a big Henry James fan (I love this quote from TS Eliot which…

  2. Ms Baroque says:

    See, I love Henry James, and I also love that quote. There is something ineffably satisfying about it! It says as much about Eliot as about James. It plays on this subtle, subterranean idea that one must write novels – or even conduct conversations – out of ideas. But, as Mallarmé said to Degas about poetry: “poems are not made from ideas. They are made from words.”

    In my view, the places where James falls down are those where you can see his ideas poking through. He did HAVE them; but they could be a bit pedestrian. Let him FLY, though – !

  3. red says:

    Ms. Baroque – How nice that you commented! I am so glad to hear your thoughts. I love that Mallarme quote, wonderful stuff! You are probably right that the Eliot quote says as much about Eliot as it does about James!! I just enjoy it, and yes – I agree, the quote is somehow very satisfying.

    I’m not sure why James leaves me cold. i certainly appreciate your perspective!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.