Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Covering End - cover

Covering End

Henry James

Publisher: Lighthouse Books for Translation and Publishing

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Covering End is another of the 'lost' long tales by Henry James, which is strange since it is pendant to The turn of the screw, the best known of all the tales, in the book publication The two magics (1898).
Henry James, (born April 15, 1843, New York, New York, U.S.—died February 28, 1916, London, England), American novelist and, as a naturalized English citizen from 1915, a great figure in the transatlantic culture. His fundamental theme was the innocence and exuberance of the New World in clash with the corruption and wisdom of the Old, as illustrated in such works as Daisy Miller (1879), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Ambassadors (1903).
Henry James was named for his father, a prominent social theorist and lecturer, and was the younger brother of the pragmatist philosopher William James. The young Henry was a shy, book-addicted boy who assumed the role of quiet observer beside his active elder brother. They were taken abroad as infants, were schooled by tutors and governesses, and spent their preadolescent years in Manhattan. Returned to Geneva, Paris, and London during their teens, the James children acquired languages and an awareness of Europe vouchsafed to few Americans in their times. On the eve of the American Civil War, the James family settled at Newport, Rhode Island, and there, and later in Boston, Henry came to know New England intimately. When he was 19 years of age, he enrolled at the Harvard Law School, but he devoted his study time to reading Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, Honoré de Balzac, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. His first story appeared anonymously two years later in the New York Continental Monthly and his first book reviews in the North American Review. When William Dean Howells became editor of The Atlantic Monthly, James found in him a friend and mentor who published him regularly. Between them, James and Howells inaugurated the era of American “realism.”
By his mid-20s James was regarded as one of the most skillful writers of short stories in America. Critics, however, deplored his tendency to write of the life of the mind, rather than of action. The stories of these early years show the leisurely existence of the well-to-do at Newport and Saratoga. James’s apprenticeship was thorough. He wrote stories, reviews, and articles for almost a decade before he attempted a full-length novel. There had to be also the traditional “grand tour,” and James went abroad for his first adult encounter with Europe in 1869. His year’s wandering in England, France, and Italy set the stage for a lifetime of travel in those countries. James never married. By nature he was friendly and even gregarious, but, while he was an active observer and participant in society, he tended, until late middle age, to be “distant” in his relations with people and was careful to avoid “involvement.”
Much as he liked France, James felt that he would be an eternal outsider there, and late in 1876 he crossed to London. There, in small rooms in Bolton Street off Piccadilly, he wrote the major fiction of his middle years. In 1878 he achieved international renown with his story of an American flirt in Rome, Daisy Miller, and further advanced his reputation with The Europeans that same year. In England he was promptly taken up by the leading Victorians and became a regular at Lord Houghton’s breakfasts, where he consorted with Alfred Tennyson, William Gladstone, Robert Browning, and others. A great social lion, James dined out 140 times during 1878 and 1879 and visited in many of the great Victorian houses and country seats.
Available since: 08/23/2019.

Other books that might interest you

  • Sherlock Holmes - The Ultimate Collection - cover

    Sherlock Holmes - The Ultimate...

    Arthur Conan Doyle

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Arthur Conan Doyle's master criminologist Sherlock Holmes continues to delight readers around the world more than a century after he first appeared in print (in 1887's "A Study in Scarlet"). The digital age has only increased his popularity: amid the onslaught of contemporary crime fiction there is something reassuring about the classic one volume set of the complete Sherlock Holmes. In Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection you will find all four Sherlock Holmes novels - "A Study In Scarlet", "The Sign of the Four", "The Hound of the Baskervilles", "The Valley of Fear" - as well as the short story collections "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes", "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" and "His Last Bow - Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes".  
     
    • A Study in Scarlet,
    • The Sign of the Four, 
    • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
    • The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,
    • The Hound of the Baskervilles,
    • The Return of Sherlock Holmes,
    • The Valley of Fear,
    • His Last Bow.
    Show book
  • Fifty Shades of Grace - Love Changes Everything - cover

    Fifty Shades of Grace - Love...

    Nicholas Deere

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Not your typical "boy meets girl" story. More like "boy meets boy, boy meets girl, boy meets God." 
    Nick grew up on a typical American farm in the heart of the great Midwest. But when his best friend invites him into a romantic relationship, Nick’s life takes an unexpected twist. Join Nick as he explores and experiences all the glorious, unpredictable, and multi-faceted dimensions of a life lived in love—love with men, love with women, and love with God. Filled with passion and romance, heartbreak and sex, you’ll keep turning pages to find out what’s next! 
    WHAT READERS ARE SAYING“A gripping story—a page turner for sure!” R.E. “Truthful and compelling. I wanted to cry and hold him and tell him everything would be all right (and sometimes box his little ears!)” J.T. “It hooks you immediately.” K.S. “Engaging, interesting, and significant.” G.P. “Excellent! Not overly graphic, but very personal. ” D.M. “A fascinating story—I think more than one wife will nudge her husband and say, ‘Here. Read this.’” B.B. “I don’t think I could be so open and honest. That’s probably why it is so riveting.” J.L. “A story that all of us can relate to.” A.L. 
    A NEW LOVE STORY FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM
    Show book
  • Benjamin Franklin: Made in America - cover

    Benjamin Franklin: Made in America

    Jeff Webb

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Called the “First American” and credited with “Inventing America,” Benjamin Franklin lived a life that invites hyperbole. Few rival Franklin for his range of accomplishment across a number of domains of human endeavor, and few lived a life of such consequence in one of history’s most consequential eras. In reality, Franklin’s true story eclipses the myths that pervade his legacy.  
    Benjamin Franklin: Made in America traces the fascinating twists and turns that make this Founding Father’s story so remarkable. In 15 dynamic audio lectures, award-winning American history professor Jeffrey Webb explores Franklin’s career beginning with his post as a young newspaperman and continuing into his leadership roles on the frontiers of cultural, intellectual, political, and scientific developments. 
    Webb elucidates pivotal moments when Benjamin’s contributions helped determine the fate of the continent: the Albany Congress, the Stamp Act debates, and the Treaty of Paris negotiations. He then explores Franklin’s significant contributions as a transformational statesman and innovator who discoverered the lightning rod, became the country’s first successful publisher, and created the public library system. 
    Perhaps most compelling, Webb shows how Franklin lent his particular genius to champion ideas considered radical in his time: free press and free speech, scientific and technological progress, and the gospel of individual self-improvement. 
    As you travel throughout Franklin’s life with Webb, you’ll witness the making of the modern world. 
    This course is part of the Learn25 collection.
    Show book
  • Letters to My Mother - A Message of Love A Plea for Freedom - cover

    Letters to My Mother - A Message...

    Ingrid Betancourt, Lorenzo...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Correspondence between politician Ingrid Betancourt and her family, written while she was being held hostage by a Columbian guerilla group.   On December 1, 2007, during the arrest of several guerillas in Bogotá, the Colombian police confiscated a short video clip of political hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Accompanying the video was a twelve-page letter, dated October 24, 2007, written by Betancourt to her mother and family. Kidnapped on February 23, 2002, Betancourt has become an international symbol in the struggle for liberty and the fight against barbarity. Before being captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), she was a voice of hope for the Colombian people, leading a courageous fight against political corruption, violence, and illegal detentions. Presented in this small, poignant book is Betancourt’s letter to her mother printed in English, French, and Spanish. From the depths of the Colombian jungle, Betancourt’s words are an impassioned declaration of love to those dearest to her. In addition to this letter is a response to Betancourt written by her children who, since they were teenagers, have rallied public support for their mother’s release. With a preface by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, Letters to My Mother conveys a powerful message of love for family and country, and a heartrending plea for freedom.
    Show book
  • Through a mother's eyes - cover

    Through a mother's eyes

    Cary Allen Stone

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A chilling look at human nature in a context where the lines between right and wrong become sadly blurred. It’s a compelling account of one woman's life, and what drove her to take the life of her six-year-old son. How everyday choices shape our perceptions, justifications, and actions. One must consider how close to the edge we all are. It’s a true story told in layman’s terms, with the hope of preventing another tragic loss.
    Show book
  • Instant Mom - cover

    Instant Mom

    Nia Vardalos

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A New York Times bestseller, Instant Mom is Academy Award-nominated writer/star Nia Vardalos’s true story of becoming a mother through adoption. 
     
    “Some families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family.” 
     
    Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours’ notice, she adopted a preschooler. 
     
    Instant Mom is Vardalos’s poignant and hilarious true chronicle of trying to become a mother while fielding nosy “frenemies” and Hollywood reporters asking, “Any baby news?” With genuine and frank honesty, she describes how she and husband Ian Gomez eventually found their daughter . . . and what happened next. Vardalos explores innovative ways to conquer the challenges all new moms face, from sleep to personal grooming, and learns that whether via biology, relationship, or adoption—motherhood comes in many forms. 
     
    Featuring laugh-out-loud behind the scenes Hollywood anecdotes, Vardalos candidly shares her instant motherhood story that is relatable for all new moms (and dads!) 
     
    “If you have ever considered bringing a child who isn’t an infant into your family, it’s the book you’ll want to read. And if you just enjoy a good, honest memoir, it’s the book for you, too.” —New York Times’ Motherlode Blog  
     
    “Refreshingly candid for all parents-plus anyone considering adoption. We know Nia is many things: writer, actress, director, musical theater lover! Here, though, you learn she is a mom first. Pure, beautiful honesty.” —Kristin Chenoweth
    Show book