The Outcry

The Outcry, Henry James's final novel, is an effervescent comedy of money and manners. Breckenridge Bender, a very rich American with a distinct resemblance to J.P. Morgan, arrives in England with the purpose of acquiring some very great art; he is directed to Dedborough, the estate of the debt-ridden Lord Theign. But plutocrat and aristocrat come into unexpected conflict when a young connoisseur, out to establish his own reputation, declares a prize painting from the lord's collection to be in fact an even rarer, and pricier, work than had been thought.

A popular success in its own day, but long unavailable since and now almost unknown, The Outcry is one of the most surprising and amusing of James's works. Here he explores questions of privilege and initiative, repute and honor, high art and base calculation, revisiting some of his favorite themes with a deft and winning touch.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: New York Review of Books
Published: 03/31/2002
ISBN: 9781590170007
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.47lbs
Size: 8.08h x 5.06w x 0.56d

Review Citations: Booklist 05/15/2002 pg. 1581
Library Journal 05/15/2002 pg. 131