http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780743250405-0: The Master is a fictional biography of the writer Henry James. Despite the fact that this novel was named one of the NY Times top books of 2004, I don't think I would have ever thought to pick it up. But, it is the current Stanford Book Salon book of the month, so I thought I'd check it out. I'm glad that I did. It is marvelously written - each chapter almost contains it's own story about a period in James's life - one about his relationship with his sister, one about his rivalry with Oscar Wilde (and Wilde's subsequent trial for homosexuality), one about his brothers who have gone to war while he's stayed home to write... All in all, it does not, in my opinion, paint James in a very favorable light - he comes across as a feeble selfish coward in most instances - which makes, for me, the title of the novel, quite ironic. But, I am interested in reading some of James's work - as well as some literary criticism about this novel and James's life - to find out more about who he was. The book also made me quite interested in Oscar Wilde, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and others mentioned in the book.
(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)
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