7 best short stories by Henry James

Book excerpt: Henry James was an American-British author regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He is best known for a number of novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between emigre Americans, English people, and continental Europeans. His later works were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often made use of a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to impressionist painting.This selection specially chosen by the literary critic August Nemo, contains the following stories:The Beast ih the JungleThe Figure in the CarpetPasteThe Romance of Certain Old ClothesThe Story of a YearThe Altar of the DeadMarried Son