William and Henry James: Selected Letters (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780813916941)

William and Henry James are well known for their master works of psychology and fiction respectively, but the celebrated brothers amassed an impressive collection of letters to one another as well. Through their copious correspondence, readers are privy to the private thoughts of these intellectual heavyweights. Sure, their letters expound on philosophical, political, social, and cultural subjects with imagination and wit, but more often they focus on the quotidian: health, news of friends and family, mutual praise, advice, complaints, and good-natured ribbing. What makes these 216 epistles remarkable is the quality of writing and the keen observations made by the brothers James during their wide and frequent travels across America and Europe. The letters contained in William and Henry James: Selected Letters span more than 50 years and are infused with the history and events of their era. This volume illuminates each man's distinct personality and reveals the relationship the two crafted out of equal parts of criticism and support.