Fun Facts Friday: Henry James

Henry James (15 April 1843 – 28 February 1916) was a British author, considered by many to be one of the greatest novelists in the English language.

Books by Henry James*

Fun Facts about Henry James:

1. Henry James was born in Washington Place, NY. His father, Henry James Sr., was a philosopher and lecturer. Both his parents came from wealthy families.
2. During his childhood, the family moved back and forth to Europe. Interestingly though, Mr. James was introduced to French literature while he was in Newport, RI.
3. Circa 1861 Henry James was fighting a fire when he hurt his back. The injury bothered him all his life and was the reason he was not able to serve in the American Civil War.
4. Henry James was going to be a lawyer, but after attending Harvard Law School he realized the occupation simply didn’t interest him and pursued literature.
5. His first published work, in 1863, was a review of a theater performance. A year later he anonymously published his first short story, A Tragedy of Error.
6. The author took a 14-month trip to Europe, where he met the likes of Charles Dickens and George Eliot. He loved Rome and attempted to make some money doing freelance writing.
7. At 1869, Henry James settled in London and established relationships with publishers.
8. In 1871 he published his first novel, Watch and Ward. The story was serialized in the Atlantic Monthly, and in 1878 in book form.
9. In 1881, Henry James published The Portrait of a Lady, which is considered one of his most popular novels, contrasting the old world (Europe) with the new one (America).
10. Even though he’s known for his fiction works, Henry James was one of the most important literary critics who ever lived.

Books by Henry James*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books