The Real Thing

Henry James was born in New York in 1843. He lived in London for much of his life and was surrounded by some of history’s iconic writers and thinkers—Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Eliot, Robert Louis Stevenson—and others who, like James, explored questions about human existence and consciousness. In his early 20s, James got his literary footing by writing for some of the most renowned American magazines of his era. James’s older brother, William, was both a philosopher and psychologist, and it is believed that many of the ideas explored in James’s stories found their basis from his brother’s writings. James began composing his stories when he was about 15 and had over 100 works published in 35 different magazines throughout his lifetime. In 1864, his first story, “A Tragedy of Error,” paved the way to a long and successful career as a short story author, culminating with “The Round of Visits,” published in 1910.

Due to James’s experience traveling around the continent, namely to Paris and London, he encountered numerous people from different countries with varied cultural backgrounds. His openness and willingness to absorb those cultures enabled him to cultivate a unique method of integration into his work.