In Which I Am Probably Seriously Maligning Henry James

I'm realizing I view Henry James with a degree of suspicion: I have a nagging sense that he looks down on all his characters, despises them a little. He seems to work so hard to make them nuanced and complex and human, but always there's this faint whiff of condescension—as if, once he's made them brought them to life, he finds them somewhat repulsive because of the very flaws he has worked so hard to convey.

I don't know, maybe I'm misreading him. This is all coming out of nowhere, really...