A London Life
Encyclopedia
A London Life is a novella
by Henry James
, first published in Scribner's Magazine
in 1888. The plot revolves around a crumbling marriage and its impact on many other people, especially Laura Wing, the sister of the soon-to-be-divorced wife. Laura is a classic Jamesian "central consciousness," whose reflections and emotions color the presentation of the storyline and the other characters
. The tale is notable for its straightforward, even hard-edged approach to sexuality
and divorce
. This might reflect the influence of French naturalism
on James during the 1880s.
girl, is visiting her sister Selina Berrington in London
. Selina's husband Lionel, boorish and often drunk, is preparing to divorce his wife for her adultery
with Charlie Crispin. Laura challenges Selina about her affair and doubts Selina's protestations of innocence. Lady Davenant, an elderly friend of the family, counsels Laura not to take her sister's marital troubles so hard.
Laura meets a pleasant but boring American named Wendover, who becomes a suitor. Eventually, after a tempestuous and (for the reader) entertaining scene at the opera, Selina leaves her husband and goes to Brussels
with Crispin. Laura spurns Wendover's marriage proposal and pursues her sister to Brussels, where she accomplishes nothing. Laura finally goes back to America, where Wendover follows her though there is no assurance as to how their future will play out. The story ends with a reminder that the case of Berrington v. Berrington and others is upcoming in the courts.
adjective "unpleasant" has been applied to this story, much as it was long ago used for the products of Emile Zola
and other French naturalists. James certainly tells his story in a blunt fashion, with no illusions about the delicacy or virtue of the Berringtons. The reader can sympathise with neither the oafish husband nor the sluttish wife. Even Laura Wing, the Jamesian central intelligence, is presented as extreme in her horrified reaction to the breakup of this distasteful couple.
Lady Davenant tries to supply a much needed dose of common sense to Laura when she advises that Selina and Lionel aren't worth the bother. The atmosphere of the story is similar to the corrupt and irresponsible milieu of What Maisie Knew
, and Laura simply can't abide the inevitable sleaziness of, well, a London life. She proves completely ineffective in her attempts to save a marriage not worth saving, and her eventual flight to America is a sad admission of defeat.
Although several of the characters are American, James makes nothing of the international contrast. Many critics have wondered why James bothered with such an odd echo of his international theme, when all the characters could easily have been English without affecting the story in any way.
liked this story for its no-nonsense approach to the realities of a marital breakup. He classed it as part of what he saw as James's best period, when the novelist "reaches what seems to me indisputably his completist artist
ic maturity: he has got over a certain stiffness, a certain naivete, which characterized his earlier work and he has acquired a new flexibility and a personal idiom."
Others have been much less kind. As mentioned above, Robert Gale tagged the story as "unpleasant" and Edward Wagenknecht
found it "not technically impressive," with a "hurried ending" and a "rather forced" international note. Critics have also divided on Laura Wing, with Leon Edel
dismissing her as "rigid and meddlesome" while Wagenknecht sympathizes with her in strong terms: "There is no character in his books—not even Isabel Archer, not even Fleda Vetch—to whom James commits himself more unreservedly than to Laura Wing". Such forceful reactions may testify to the power of the story's unembarrassed portrayal of a messy divorce.
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
by Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
, first published in Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
in 1888. The plot revolves around a crumbling marriage and its impact on many other people, especially Laura Wing, the sister of the soon-to-be-divorced wife. Laura is a classic Jamesian "central consciousness," whose reflections and emotions color the presentation of the storyline and the other characters
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
. The tale is notable for its straightforward, even hard-edged approach to sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. This might reflect the influence of French naturalism
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
on James during the 1880s.
Plot summary
Laura Wing, an impoverished AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
girl, is visiting her sister Selina Berrington in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Selina's husband Lionel, boorish and often drunk, is preparing to divorce his wife for her adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
with Charlie Crispin. Laura challenges Selina about her affair and doubts Selina's protestations of innocence. Lady Davenant, an elderly friend of the family, counsels Laura not to take her sister's marital troubles so hard.
Laura meets a pleasant but boring American named Wendover, who becomes a suitor. Eventually, after a tempestuous and (for the reader) entertaining scene at the opera, Selina leaves her husband and goes to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
with Crispin. Laura spurns Wendover's marriage proposal and pursues her sister to Brussels, where she accomplishes nothing. Laura finally goes back to America, where Wendover follows her though there is no assurance as to how their future will play out. The story ends with a reminder that the case of Berrington v. Berrington and others is upcoming in the courts.
Key themes
The rather VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
adjective "unpleasant" has been applied to this story, much as it was long ago used for the products of Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
and other French naturalists. James certainly tells his story in a blunt fashion, with no illusions about the delicacy or virtue of the Berringtons. The reader can sympathise with neither the oafish husband nor the sluttish wife. Even Laura Wing, the Jamesian central intelligence, is presented as extreme in her horrified reaction to the breakup of this distasteful couple.
Lady Davenant tries to supply a much needed dose of common sense to Laura when she advises that Selina and Lionel aren't worth the bother. The atmosphere of the story is similar to the corrupt and irresponsible milieu of What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in the Chap-Book and in the New Review in 1897 and then as a book later in the same year. The story of the sensitive daughter of divorced and irresponsible parents, What Maisie Knew has great contemporary relevance as an...
, and Laura simply can't abide the inevitable sleaziness of, well, a London life. She proves completely ineffective in her attempts to save a marriage not worth saving, and her eventual flight to America is a sad admission of defeat.
Although several of the characters are American, James makes nothing of the international contrast. Many critics have wondered why James bothered with such an odd echo of his international theme, when all the characters could easily have been English without affecting the story in any way.
Critical evaluation
Edmund WilsonEdmund Wilson
Edmund Wilson was an American writer and literary and social critic and noted man of letters.-Early life:Wilson was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. His father, Edmund Wilson, Sr., was a lawyer and served as New Jersey Attorney General. Wilson attended The Hill School, a college preparatory...
liked this story for its no-nonsense approach to the realities of a marital breakup. He classed it as part of what he saw as James's best period, when the novelist "reaches what seems to me indisputably his completist artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
ic maturity: he has got over a certain stiffness, a certain naivete, which characterized his earlier work and he has acquired a new flexibility and a personal idiom."
Others have been much less kind. As mentioned above, Robert Gale tagged the story as "unpleasant" and Edward Wagenknecht
Edward Wagenknecht
Edward Wagenknecht was an American literary critic and teacher, who specialized in 19th century American literature. He wrote and edited many books on literature and movies, and taught for many years at various universities, including the University of Chicago and Boston University...
found it "not technically impressive," with a "hurried ending" and a "rather forced" international note. Critics have also divided on Laura Wing, with Leon Edel
Leon Edel
Joseph Leon Edel was a North American literary critic and biographer. He was the elder brother of North American philosopher Abraham Edel....
dismissing her as "rigid and meddlesome" while Wagenknecht sympathizes with her in strong terms: "There is no character in his books—not even Isabel Archer, not even Fleda Vetch—to whom James commits himself more unreservedly than to Laura Wing". Such forceful reactions may testify to the power of the story's unembarrassed portrayal of a messy divorce.
External links
- Original magazine publication of A London Life (1888)
- Author's preface to the New York Edition text of A London Life (1908)
- Note on the texts of A London Life at the Library of AmericaLibrary of AmericaThe Library of America is a nonprofit publisher of classic American literature.- Overview and history :Founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the LoA has published over 200 volumes by a wide range of authors from Mark Twain to Philip...
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