Abstract
HENRY JAMES'S PLAYS SUGGEST the musty atmosphere of a museum curio. Even Leon Edel, who took the trouble to resurrect the complete plays, does not attempt to justify James as a dramatist. James reached the low point of his dramatic career with the disastrous opening night of Guy Domville in 1895, when the author was hissed off the stage, an experience which he never lived down. It was only two weeks later that James inscribed in his notebook the memorable sentence, "I take up my own old pen again." That this master of English style knew dramatic theory is easily shown in frequent comments in his prefaces and notebooks; that he could not put the theories into practice is just as easily shown by the collection of failures that Professor Edel's volume represents.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
