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The Aspern Papers
2023: Other Books
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The Aspern Papers by Henry James - 4 stars (Subdue)
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Not oneof his books that gets much attention. I will have to consider it, although I am still recovering from my unfortunate rereading of The Turn of the Screw several months ago. 😅
The Turn of the Screw is an outlier, quite different from his other books. I read it long ago and don't recall liking it very much. I've read quite of his books now, and I've enjoyed them. I think you would like this one, Theresa. Plus, it's short!
The funny thing about The Turn of the Screw is that I don't remember hating it or even mildly disliking it when I read it the first time in my 20s. I of course now know it is an outlier - written on commission so to speak. I've read other earlier James and liked them just fine. But this one has escaped my notice.
Originally published in serial form in 1888, this short novel features an unnamed historian who is interested in obtaining the private letters of (fictional) deceased poet Jeffrey Aspern. The historian travels to Venice to locate the poet’s love interest, Juliana Bordereau, now an elderly woman living with her niece in a large home. The narrator inveigles himself into their lives, talking them into renting him a few rooms of their villa and escorting Mrs. Bordereau’s “spinster” niece around town. The storyline follows the narrator’s increasing willingness to bend ethical boundaries to get his hands on the titular papers.
The narrative takes the form of a mystery. It spurred my curiosity as to how far the narrator would go to get what he wants. It is a story of obsession and explores the boundaries of privacy. Does Mrs. Bordereau have an obligation to share these letters with the world or is it an invasion of privacy to do so? It is rather easy to dislike this protagonist and the way he treats women, especially the lonely and vulnerable niece. He deceives, manipulates, and acts like a con man, though he tells himself it is in the service of a higher objective.
As is typical of Henry James’s works, there are a few long convoluted sentences that today’s reader could find rather abstruse. But overall, I think this is one of his more straightforward (and shorter) works, and I enjoyed it all the way through. If you have not read James and are looking for a book to test the waters, this is a good one to pick up.