English Hours : A Portrait of a Country

Henry James left America for England in 1876 and remained in his adopted country for the next three decades. Arriving in Liverpool, he made his way first to London, the “dreadful, delightful city” that he would come to both love and hate. James reveled in the exoticism and immensity of all that was unknown to him, and his writing spills over with youthful excitement, humor, and vivid descriptions of the people, landscapes, towns, and cities he encountered. He later set out to explore the English countryside: Chester, Warwick, Devon, Wells, Salisbury, Suffolk, and Rye, where he eventually settled, bought Lamb House, and wrote prolifically—producing some of his finest works, including What Maisie Knew, The Wings of the Dove, The Golden Bowl, and The Middle Years