foggy_rosamund's review
2.0
My first Henry James. This is a very confusing short story -- not helped, I thought, by James' laboured and over-the-top prose. I felt like it didn't amount to very much at all: the mystery, if there is a mystery, is unsolved, and the narrator has learnt nothing.
casthedragon's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
susannadkm's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This curious short story was my first introduction to Henry James, thanks to Jacke Wilson’s reading it for the History of Literature podcast. Interesting, but not inclined to read more.
morafresa's review against another edition
3.0
Al principio no me estaba gustando tanto, pero al final igual me ganó con ese final tragicómico jejeje
thehoneyreads's review
3.0
It took me over half of the story to finally get invested into it and to start enjoying it - which says a lot since it's only 56 pages long! You follow an unnamed and pretty unreliable narrator obsess over the meaning of an authors work. Him being a writing critic himself and going through extreme lengths to unravel the meaning is a bit satire as he himself as a critic cannot figure it out without outside reasonings and input. The ending was a bit unsatisfactory for me. I think I'm realizing I'm not much of a short story type of person! Looking forward to reading longer works by Henry James as I did enjoy his prose.
javierarayen's review
3.0
This left me feeling like the time I first watched "Pulp Fiction" by Tarantino, when I badly wanted to know what was in the leathercase... just to finally realize that what's inside isn't the point at all.
almostudying's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
regitzexenia's review
2.0
Honestly I found this so boring, it’s all about this great literary riddle but our narrator is not the one to solve it. In fact he fails dramatically and then contiuously fails to weasel the secret from those he supposes knows it. And in the end, I didn’t care either way.
clari's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
A disarming story by Henry James which asks questions rather than gives any answers.