What a year I've had (2014)! Perhaps 20 books of the 80 or so have been Phenomenal (thanks, 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List). Seriously, the majority of these are at least above average, some of them are true essentials that you mustmust MUST absolutely experience). In that vein, "The Master" reigns supreme. Novels about novel-writing are a hit because they embody the "perfect package": it's drama about drama, prose about prose, what the unfictitious writer had to do to ultimately get his...

(Book 9 from 1001 books) - The Master (2004), Colm Tóibín (Toibin)The novel starts with a portrait of Henry as a public figure who feels humiliated in an unexpected way, not just in the public side of his writing career but also in a more personal way, in which all the precautions he had taken to carry on with his life as he wished it to be, come to a crisis. Henry resolves to reduce his public life by buying a house in Rye and there he nurses his loneliness and is haunted by all the consequence...

The Master is the story of the key life-shaping experiences of Henry James. While we learn a lot about James' life, the book is not at all structured as a traditional biography. It begins late in James' life when he was settled in England and it has him reflect back on these experiences. In particular, three women, very close to him -- an invalid sister, a brilliant favorite cousin, and an author friend died relatively young. Another life-forming event was a summer camp experience with a large g...

I first read this book in 2004. I had chosen to read it because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, not because it was about Henry James. Thirteen years on, I rarely read books in the Booker shortlist but I'm definitely interested in Henry James so it was with a certain curiosity that I picked this book out of a box I was unpacking and opened up its yellow-tinged pages. In the years since my first reading, I'd always maintained in any discussion about Toibin's books that The Master was the

I loved this book. I thought Tóibín did a beautiful job adapting his style to one that was evocative of Henry James, although more easily readable. The novel moves with James to London, Ireland, Italy, and Rye, and effectively integrates James' memories of the past in flashbacks that come as responses to his relationships, tensions, and interactions with others.Tóibín has been described as a writer who is keenly interested in his characters' psychology and relationships, and this interest comes

PROJECTIONS Coming out of a cinema having watched a film, one often feels, for a very short moment, somewhat astray. But very quickly one’s consciousness grapples to take hold of its position and put the realm of the movie into a contained and defined locus in one’s brain—somewhere on the side, no longer projected at the very back. Only then can one resume one’s life and self, and start chatting to friends about what did they think of the film.With this novel I have felt a similar disconcerti

Thoughtful and well considered novel about a short period in the life of Henry James the novelist. It is set in the late 1890s when James lived in Rye and is entirely told from the point of view of James and is placed in his interior life. James is not an author I have read; apart from some of his shorter stuff, but that didn't present any problems in reading and appreciating the book. The basic knowledge I had about his life and family was enough.This novel moves slowly and is very descriptive,...

Three stars for a disappointing book. This was a gift from my Goodreads friend Emma. The book cover shows it shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, Los Angeles Times Book Prize Fiction winner and several other prizes. I tried reading 1 of Henry James' books 50 years ago and did not finish because it was boring. I realize that I am in the minority here, but I found this book to be very tedious. It was as if I was in a college literature course reading an assigned book. The book re imagines 4 and 1...

I started reading this book with next to no knowledge of Henry James' life and works. I now find myself fascinated by the man, thanks to Tòibin's incredible storytelling and beautiful prose.

Life is a mystery and (that) only sentences are beautiful (…) The disadvantage of listening to an audiobook, however mellow and fittingly transatlantic the accent of the narrator, is that one cannot hold on to the sentences. They seem more fleeting when listened to, even when, as in this case, I went back many times to pay more attention to the beauty of a sentence, the significance of a word. And there was much I wanted to hold on to and savour in this gorgeous novel.It is the story of Henry Ja...

The subtle third-person narrative of Tolm Coibin (born 1955) masterfully portrays Henry James (1843-1916) as person in this 2004 Booker-shortlisted novel, The Master. Covering a period of 5 years, 1895 to 1899, this includes his defeat at London Theatre when Guy Domville (1895) flopped, his self-seclusion in Rye East Sussex, flashback to his former life in America, before going back and ending the story in Rye. I picked up this book because this is both a 501 and a 1001 and I have been postponin...

“Nuanced” is one of those great homological words. (“Polysyllabic” is the usual example – a word that describes itself.) When multiple blurbs for a book call it nuanced, you can bet it’ll feature more in the way of inner life and less in the way of plot. Of course, this can be good or bad depending on how skilled the writer is, how interesting the drill-downs are, and the extent to which the M.O. might otherwise be hackneyed or boilerplate. It’s like jazz standards. I’m not talking about the ivo...

Fine, nicely balanced novel about the late career of the formidable American writer Henry James (1843-1916). James is portrayed as a tormented man who has increasing difficulty in dealing with others, and only finds fulfilment in his art. Great craftsmanship this is of Toibin, though I suspect it will especially appeal to the fans of James' work. (2.5 stars)

This book belongs to that genre of literary novels which create an imagined life (based heavily on research) for an historical character, in this case, the great novelist, Henry James. (Because there are other James family members appearing throughout, in person and in recollection, I refer to Henry James as Henry rather than as the customary James.)Although the eleven chapters focus on the events taking place during specified months, beginning with January 1894 and ending with October 1899, the...

In "The Art of Fiction," Henry James advises the beginning novelist, "Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost!" Unfortunately, much of James's insight is now lost on us. He grows more revered and unread with each passing decade. Shifting tastes, including a century of sensory overload, have rendered his social and emotional precision almost invisible. Students still struggle through his ghost story, "Turn of the Screw," but he's otherwise drifted off high school reading lists. When f...

Description: The Master tells the story of Henry James, a man born into one of America's first intellectual families two decades before the Civil War. In stunningly resonant prose, Tsibmn captures the loneliness and longing, the hope and despair of a man who never married, never resolved his sexual identity, and whose forays into intimacy inevitably failed him and those he tried to love.Withdrawn from London Borough of Redbridge LibrariesFOR BAIRBRE AND MICHAEL STACKOpening: January 1895. Someti...

It's pretty audacious to make Henry James the hero of your book. Tóibín starts by showing us this deeply closeted, repressed guy: this is the Henry James we know. But then: he goes deeper, writing him as not just closeted but a coward, a selfish guy, and you're like whoa, hey. And then he goes even deeper and shows the terrible damage he's inflicted on everyone around him through his cowardice and selfishness, and you realize Tóibín hasn't made James the hero of his book; he's made him the villa...

Beautifully written novel about a segment of the life of author Henry James (1843 – 1916). It is set in 1895 to 1899, looking back on key episodes and people in his life. We gain a perspective on his family, particularly his relationship with his parents, older brother William, and younger sister Alice. We look at James’ disappointment in the theater, his relationship with close friend Constance Fenimore Woolson, and interactions with sculptor Hendrik Christian Andersen. Several other prominent

usually i get frustrated and bogged down when the pace of a book is as slow as this one, and when the plot isn't really the point. but i loved loved loved this book, and loved its carefully crafted, meditative prose style. i found myself reading much more slowly than i usually do and thinking more about what was being said, so for me it was more of an interactive experience than reading usually is, and i loved that. the sentence structure was more challenging than the books i guess i've been rea...

Colm Tóibín is a genius. In this novel, he explores the life and work of Henry James, spanning the period from 1895 to 1900. His characterization of James is so subtle and - dare I say? nuanced - that I was forced to keep on reading. Even though I don't particularly like Henry James or his work, by the time I finished this book, I was motivated to rethink my dislike. If you're a James fan, this is probably a five-star book for you. For the rest of us, it's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It def...

An interesting book, capturing the disquiet and drama of a writing life

The Master tells about Henry James from the inside out and back. The insight into the author's psych is mesmerizing and daring. He also gives a picture of those times' society, with the rich who offered their palaces, parties and company to artists all over Europe, and the artists who stayed as guests for months. Henry James has enjoyed this kind of hospitality but he has also treasured his solitude. It's hinted more than once and in various ways that he was homosexual, but either he was a-sexed...

If you'd like to get a feel for the personality and life of Henry James without struggling (g), try this book.Colm Toibin, author of _The Master_, imitates Henry James' style as he tells this fictionalized biography of part of Henry James' life.I found it thrilling to feel so close to Henry James who has always seemed so distant as a writer. It was interesting to learn, as I read Henry's inner thoughts, that he suffered from self-doubt . He was human after all.It was also interesting to read how...

London 1895: As the story begins it is concentrated on a play, actors, rehearsals, and how the novelist Henry James feels about it. I didn’t find it engaging. A lot of writing is concentrated on how he feels, what he learns and wonders, what he would do or should have done.“After the failure of Guy Domville, his determination to work did battle with the feeling that he had been defeated and exposed. He had failed, he realized, to take the measure of the great flat foot of the public, and he now

While most biographies deal with the external lives of their heroes recording the pivotal moments in their histories and their material accomplishments, The Master unwaveringly charts the inner life of Henry James - his emotional topography and vivid introspections - with stunning clarity that leaves you feeling dangerously intimate to him, as if he were your favorite sibling. The restrained prose could be compared to a deadly calm lake at night - steady without any ripples, beautiful and reflec...

This novel seeks to reveal the daily life and thoughts of American writer Henry James prior to his breakthrough novels, The Wings of Doves and The Golden Bowl. It exposes the world of privilege and conceit of European literati and artists and those who seek to be on intimate terms with such talent and hopeful success. One does not need to be a fan of Henry James or to even have read his work to enjoy this portrait- the novel is beautifully rendered, intense and fascinating. But it would be diffi...

I had this on my TBR list way too long! An excellent book by Colm Toibin giving a fictionalized account of Henry Jame's life. I loved the style Toibin used selecting interesting and/or significant events/people/places in James's life.

A "biography", in the form of a novel, of Henry James. Fascinating, how the emotions and worries of the main, and other, characters are described in great detail, without ever being boring, at least to me. If you liked "Nora Webster" by the same author, you'll love this one. If not, you'll hate it.

Master..ful. Hope I live long enough to re-read it.

This has been the perfect book for me, never once a disappointment over my slow months of reading it, and I am so grateful. My gratitude is enhanced by its unpredictability: Henry James has never become very readable for me, as I tried to do when I was very young. Now I see that I had been misled by a teacher who had too small a concept of the age and patience reading James requires. So I had led myself to open The Ambassadors, never quite figuring out a word of it, thinking at times it had been...