Henry James is regarded by many as the preeminent Anglo-American novelist, whose work spans the social and cultural gap between Europe and the Americas in the later 19th century. He was born in New York, on April 15th, 1843. The son of a prominent social theorist, after whom he was named, James spent his childhood surrounded by critical writers and thinkers of the 19th century. His family avidly partook in the increasingly popular transatlantic intellectual tradition: they moved between major European capitals, procuring governesses and tutors for Henry and his brother. In turn, he became proficient in languages and intimately familiar with European culture.

Later in his life, James would account for his childhood of travels in his memoirs and letters. Yet despite offering vivid accounts of a childhood abroad, James is more known for the fiction he produced. Much like his memoirs, however, James’ fiction was deeply rooted in his international upbringing. Novels such as The Ambassadors (1903), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), and Daisy Miller (1878) touch on life abroad through an American lens. Despite the prevalence of certain transatlantic themes, Henry James’ extensive career as a writer and novelist cannot be characterized by one single mode of narration. He is considered to have been a major force of American “realism,” but his novels and short stories reflect distinct phases of 19th century English prose. James died in London, in 1916 and was considered a major force of English and American literature. He spent his life traveling and writing — James is a quintessential figure of the “international novel.”