The Other House

This terse and startling novel, written just beforeThe Spoils of PoyntonandWhat Maisie Knew,is the story of a struggle for possessionand of its devastating consequences. Three women seek to secure the affections of one man, while he, in turn, tries to satisfy them all. But in the middle of this contest of wills stands his unwitting and vulnerable young daughter. The savage conclusion ofThe Other Housemakes it one of the most disturbing and memorable of Henry James's depictions of the uncontrollable passions that lie beneath the polished veneer of civilized life. Oh blestOther House, which gives me thus at every step a precedent, a divine little light to walk by... Henry James

Henry James (1843–1916), the younger brother of the psychologist William James and one of the greatest of American writers, was born in New York but lived for most of his life in England. Among the best known of his many stories and novels are The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, and The Wings of the Dove. In addition to The New York Stories of Henry James, New York Review Classics has published several long-unavailable James novels: The Other House, The Outcry, andThe Ivory Tower.

Louis Begley is a novelist and retired lawyer. He has written eight novels, including Wartime Lies, About Schmidt, andMatters of Honor, which was published in 2007. He is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres of France and served as the president of PEN American Center from 1993 to 1995. He lives in New York with his wife, Anka Muhlstein, an historian of France.