Book Cover of The Real Thing

The Real Thing

by Henry James

"The Real Thing" is a short story by Henry James, first syndicated by S. S. McClure in multiple American newspapers and then published in the British publication Black and White in April 1892 and the following year as the title story in the collection, The Real Thing and Other Stories published by Macmillan. This story, often read as a parable, plays with the reality-illusion dichotomy that fascinated James, especially in the later stages of his career. For the illustrator who narrates the story, the genuine article proves all too useless for his commercial purposes. The story portrays the unfortunate victims of a society in which reality and representation are closely intertwined in ways that make art a difficult project to disentangle the two.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1892

Authors

Henry James image

Henry James

America, Britain

Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843, into a wealthy and intellectually stimulating family. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian philosopher and his mother, Mary Roberts...

Books by Henry James

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Liza of Lambeth Cover image

Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham

Set in the impoverished slums of late 19th-century London, "Liza of Lambeth" follows the life of Liza, an 18-year-old factory girl. The novel explores...

Little Eve Edgarton Cover image

Little Eve Edgarton by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott

Eve Edgarton is not who she seems she is. A short encounter with Mr. Barton show that first impressions are not always right or indicative of one's se...

Lo, Michael! Cover image

Lo, Michael! by Grace Livingston Hill

It tells the story of a young man named Michael Strange who, despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, refuses to give up on his dreams and in...

White Rose of Weary Leaf Cover image

White Rose of Weary Leaf by Violet Hunt

In 'White Rose of Weary Leaf', Amy, a fiercely independent woman navigating the complexities of Victorian society, challenges societal expectations an...

No Name  Cover image

No Name by Wilkie Collins

When Andrew Vanstone is killed suddenly in an accident and his wife follows shortly thereafter, it is revealed that they were not married at the time...

The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker Races Cover image

The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker Races by Oscar Micheaux

It tells a captivating story about the complex issues of race and class in early 20th-century America. Published in 1935, "The Forged Note" centers a...

Paul Faber, Surgeon Cover image

Paul Faber, Surgeon by George MacDonald

The book tells the story of a young surgeon named Paul Faber, who moves to a small town to start a new life and becomes embroiled in a complicated lov...

Death in Venice Cover image

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

Death in Venice is a novella by German author Thomas Mann, published in 1912. It presents an ennobled writer who visits Venice and is liberated, uplif...

Stine Cover image

Stine by Theodor Fontane

Stine, a young woman from a modest background, finds herself drawn to the attention of Graf Waldemar Haldern, a sickly young nobleman. Their romance b...

The Crystal Cup Cover image

The Crystal Cup by Gertrude Atherton

It tells the story of a beautiful young woman named Margot. Margot is the daughter of a wealthy French nobleman and is known for her exquisite beauty...

Reviews for The Real Thing

No reviews posted or approved, yet...