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The Wings of the Dove
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The Wings of the Dove Paperback - 2003

by Henry James; Introduction by Amy Bloom


Summary

Beautiful Kate Croy may have been left penniless by her relatives, but her bold, ambitious nature ensures she will not succumb meekly to a life of poverty. If the financial circumstances of Merton Densher, the man she is passionately in love with, are not sufficient to secure her future, perhaps her cunning will. So when Milly Theale arrives in Europe from America, laden with wealth but also gravely ill, Kate sees an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability and devises a plan that will see her and Merton financially provided for. Her scheming is flawed though, for it fails to take into account the inconstancies of the human heart.John Bayley's introduction examines the novel in the context of James's other late, great works.

From the publisher

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time Set amid the splendor of London drawing rooms and gilded Venetian palazzos, The Wings of the Dove is the story of Milly Theale, a nave, doomed American heiress, and a pair of lovers, Kate Croy and Merton Densher, who conspire to obtain her fortune. In this witty tragedy of treachery, self-deception, and betrayal, Henry James weaves together three ill-fated and wholly human destinies unexpectedly linked by desire, greed, and salvation. As Amy Bloom writes in her Introduction, "The Wings of the Dove is a novel of intimacy. . . . [James] gives us passion, he gives us love in its terrible and enchanting forms."

From the jacket flap

Set amid the splendor of London drawing rooms and gilded Venetian palazzos, The Wings of the Dove is the story of Milly Theale, a naive, doomed American heiress, and a pair of lovers, Kate Croy and Merton Densher, who conspire to obtain her fortune. In this witty tragedy of treachery, self-deception, and betrayal, Henry James weaves together three ill-fated and wholly human destinies unexpectedly linked by desire, greed, and salvation. As Amy Bloom writes in her Introduction, "The Wings of the Dove is a novel of intimacy. . . . [James] gives us passion, he gives us love in its terrible and enchanting forms."

Details

  • Title The Wings of the Dove
  • Author Henry James; Introduction by Amy Bloom
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Modern Library
  • Pages 768
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Modern Library, New York
  • Date 2003-04-08
  • ISBN 9780812967197 / 0812967194
  • Weight 1.24 lbs (0.56 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.04 x 5.31 x 1.65 in (20.42 x 13.49 x 4.19 cm)
  • Reading level 1190
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: British
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2003544772
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

The Wings of the Dove represents the pinnacle of James’s prose.”—Louis Auchincloss

About the author

Amy Bloom is the author of four novels: White Houses, Lucky Us, Away, and Love Invents Us; and three collections of short stories: Where the God Of Love Hangs Out, Come to Me (finalist for the National Book Award), and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award). Her first book of nonfiction, Normal: Transsexual CEOs, Crossdressing Cops and Hermaphrodites with Attitudes, is a staple of university sociology and biology courses. Her most recent book is the widely acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir, In Love. She has written for magazines such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Elle, The Atlantic, Slate, and Salon, and her work has been translated into fifteen languages. She is the Director of the Shapiro Center at Wesleyan University.
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The Wings of the Dove
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by James, Henry

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