OneofthemostinstantlyappealingofJames’searlymasterpieces,WashingtonSquareisataleofatrappeddaughteranddomineeringfather,aquiettragedyofmoneyandloveandinnocencebetrayed.CatherineSloper,heiresstoafortune,attractstheattentionofagood-lookingbutpennilessyoungman,MorrisTownsend,butherfatherisconvincedthathismotivesaremerelymercenary.Hewillnotconsenttothemarriage,regardlessofthecosttohisdaughter.OutofthisclassicconfrontationHenryJamesfashionedoneofhismostdeftlysearchingshorterfictions,ataleofgreatdepthofmeaningandunderstanding.Firstpublishedin1880butsetsomefortyyearsearlierinapre-CivilWarNewYork,thenovelreflectsironicallyontherestrictedworldinwhichitsheroineismarooned.InhisexcellentintroductionAdrianPoolereflectsonthebook’sgestationandinfluences,thesignificanceofplace,andtheinsightwithwhichthefourprincipalplayersaredrawn.Thebookalsoincludesanup-to-datebibliography,illuminatingnotes,andadiscussionofstageandfilmadaptationsofthestory.
AbouttheSeries:Forover100yearsOxfordWorld’sClassicshasmadeavailablethebroadestspectrumofliteraturefromaroundtheglobe.EachaffordablevolumereflectsOxford’scommitmenttoscholarship,providingthemostaccuratetextplusawealthofothervaluablefeatures,includingexpertintroductionsbyleadingauthorities,voluminousnotestoclarifythetext,up-to-datebibliographiesforfurtherstudy,andmuchmore.
