The correspondence of Henry James andthe House of Macmillan, 1877-1914

Description:

The House of Macmillan in London published twenty-seven titles by Henry James and three editions of his work - more than any other publisher. This comprehensive collection of correspondence between James and the firm, painstakingly edited by Rayburn S. Moore, contains 318 letters written between 1877 and 1914, most of them between James and Frederick Macmillan, son of the founding senior partner and a dominant force in the publishing house. Moore also includes correspondence between James and other members of the company, including Alexander Macmillan and George A. Macmillan. James's first book with the company was a collection of critical essays, French Poets and Novelists, published in 1878.^ Over the next twelve years Macmillan published fifteen of James's works, including the novels The Europeans, The Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, and The Tragic Muse, as well as a critical study of Hawthorne, several volumes of stories and novellas, and in 1883 the first collected edition of his fiction, in fourteen volumes. Even after his partial break with the company in 1890, James continued to appear on its list from time to time. From 1908 through 1909 Macmillan published the so-called New York Edition of James's novels and tales and in 1920 Percy Lubbock's two-volume edition of his letters. From 1921 through 1923 the company brought out a thirty-five-volume edition of James's works, the most complete collection to date. The focus of the correspondence between James and his publisher is usually on business concerns - royalty terms, dates of publication, format, type, and other technical matters.^ James's letters combine recurrent worry over money with fastidiousness regarding details, self-deprecating humor, and a willingness to help others. His publisher's replies reveal a combination of courtesy, generosity, social grace, and business acumen. Many of the letters, especially those to and from Frederick Macmillan, are based on friendship and concern more personal matters. They contain frequent references to James's visits to Macmillan's homes and with his American wife, Georgiana Warrin Macmillan, who was also James's good friend. These letters give details of numerous social activities and occasionally impart literary gossip about mutual friends and acquaintances. The reader of these letters, almost three hundred of which are here published in full for the first time, thus learns a great deal not only about the publishing world but also about the broader cultural milieu of the period.^ Rayburn Moore's full and informative annotations and excellent introduction set the correspondence in context and enhance the value of the book.

subjects: Macmillan Press,  Correspondence,  Publishers and publishing,  American Authors,  Macmillan Publishing Company,  Authors and publishers,  History

People: Henry James (1843-1916)