Product Description

Making her debut in London society, Nanda Brookenham is being groomed for the marriage market. Thrust suddenly into the superficial and immoral circle that surrounds her mother, the innocent but independent-minded young woman even finds herself in competition with Mrs Brookenham for the affection of the man she admires. Only an elderly bachelor, Mr Longdon, is immune to this world of greed and scheming, and determines to rescue Nanda from its corrupting influences out of loyalty to the deep love he once felt for her grandmother. In The Awkward Age (1899), Henry James explores the English character, and the clash between old and new money with a light and subtly ironic touch to create a devastating critique of society and its machinations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #288946 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Henry James (1843-1916) was born in New York and settled in Europe in 1875. He was a regular contributor of reviews, critical essays, and short stories to American periodicals. He is best known for his many novels of American and European character.

Customer Reviews

From the back cover....
`May fairly be considered one of James's major achievements' -- F. R. Leavis in The Great Tradition

Companion in theme, period, and setting to What Maisie Knew, THE AWKWARD AGE is another of Henry James's studies of innocence exposed to corrupting influences.

Nanda Brookenham is `coming out' in London society. Thrust suddenly into the vicious, immoral circle, which has gathered round her mother, she even finds herself in competition with Mrs Brookenham for the affection of a man she admires. The plot is almost entirely propelled by dialogue.