Henry James, in Short

Abstract

“Short James” might be approached by way of the memorable Dickensian tag-line, “in short.” The phrase belongs to Mr. Micawber, of course, whose prolix correspondence has long made him a favorite with audiences. His unforgettably effusive epistolary style, noteworthy for elaborate metaphors and convoluted sentences, parodies the letter-writing manuals of an earlier era while at the same time providing a comic foil to the serious literary endeavors of David Copperfield...