Author: FISHER, PAUL
Title: House of wits : an intimate portrait of the James family
Description: New York : Henry Holt and Co. 2008. First Edition. An exceptional copy; fine in an equally fine dw. now mylar-sleeved. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight. bright. clean and especially sharp-cornered. Literally as new.; 693 pages; Description: x. 693 p.8 p. Of plates : ill. ; 25 cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. [657]-666) and index. Subjects; Upper class families --New York (State) --New York --Biography. Manhattan (New York. N. Y. ) --Biography. An American odyssey that reveals the fascinating complexities of one of history's most brilliant. eccentric. and daring familiesThe James family. one of America's most memorable dynasties. gave the world three famous children: a novelist of genius (Henry) . an influential philosopher (William) . and an invalid (Alice) who became a feminist icon. despite her sheltered life and struggles with mental illness. Although much has been written on them. many truths about the Jameses have long been camouflaged. The conflicts that defined one of American's greatest families- homosexuality. depression. alcoholism. female oppression-can only now be thoroughly investigated and discussed with candor and understanding. Paul Fisher's grand family saga. House of Wits. rediscovers a family traumatized by the restrictive standards of their times but reaching out for new ideas and ways to live. He follows the five James offspring (“hotel children. ” Henry called them) and their parents through their privileged travels across the Atlantic; interludes in Newport and Cambridge; the younger boys' engagement in the Civil War; and William and Henry's later adventures in London. Paris. and Italy. He captures the splendor of their era and all the members of the clan-beginning with their mercurial father. who nurtured. inspired. and damaged them. setting the stage for lives of colorful passions. intense rivalries. and extraordinary achievements. House of Wits is a revealing cultural history that revises and completes our understanding of its remarkable protagonists and the changing world where they came of age. by Paul Fisher.Weight in Kg appr.:

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