The Portable Henry James by Henry James Edited by John Auchard

There are writers you read, and then there are writers you inhabit. Henry James belongs firmly in the second camp.

This entirely new Portable Henry James gathers the very best of a master’s work into one beautifully curated volume—the kind of book you’ll want to keep close on the shelf, ready for a rainy afternoon when the sea air turns gray and the reading lamp feels like the coziest spot in Ogunquit.

James wrote with an imperial elegance, whether his subjects were American innocents or European sophisticates, incandescent women or their vigorous suitors. His omniscient eye took in everything: the surfaces of cities, the nuances of speech and dress, and above all those microscopic hesitancies and quiet betrayals that make up the true substance of human relationships.

Inside, you’ll discover seven major tales—including Daisy Miller, The Turn of the Screw, “The Beast in the Jungle,” and “The Jolly Corner.” But there’s so much more to linger over here:

• A sampling of revisions James made to his most famous work
• Travel writing and literary criticism
• Correspondence and autobiography
• Playful parodies by literary giants like T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, and Graham Greene

For more than seventy years, Penguin Classics has been the trusted home of the world’s great literature—authoritative texts enhanced by thoughtful introductions and notes from distinguished scholars. This edition is no exception.

Whether you’re a longtime devotee or meeting James for the first time, this is the perfect place to begin. Come find your next great read. We’d love to help.

Additional information