Henry James.

Name: The Turn of the Screw
Author: Henry James

Born 15 Apr 1843 New York City, United States

Died 28 Feb 1916 London, United Kingdom

Citizenship United States

6 min read

Reading time

1,200

Words

Mar 24, 2026

Published

167

Books

Award

TL;DR

Henry James wrote 24 novels including The Portrait of a Lady and The Wings of the Dove. He was born in New York City in 1843 to a wealthy family and briefly attended Harvard Law School before dedicating himself to writing. He later became a British subject and received the Order of Merit. He died in London in 1916 after a stroke.

Identity & family.

KIN · 3

Names, aliases, and relatives of Henry James — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Parents: Mary Walsh James
Siblings: Alice James William James

At a glance.

STATS

Henry James by the numbers — life, work, and family.

72 Years lived

167 Books

1 Award

Who was Henry James?

BIOGRAPHY

Henry James — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

A childhood split between New York and Europe exposed Henry James to a rich literary diet. The younger brother of philosopher William James and sister Alice, he was born on April 15, 1843 to Henry James Sr. and Mary Walsh James. By the time he was a teenager, James had read extensively in English, American, German, French, and Russian literature, and had been educated in New York City, London, Paris, and Geneva. His family’s wealth enabled frequent transatlantic travel, which shaped his international perspective.

Career

At 21, James published his first novel, A Tragedy of Error. He later wrote 23 more novels, including The Portrait of a Lady 1881, The Ambassadors, The Golden Bowl, and The Wings of the Dove. Plays like Guy Domville and short stories for the New York Tribune expanded his portfolio. His body of work also includes literary and art criticism, autobiography, and travel writing. Britain awarded him the Order of Merit in 1916, recognizing his literary stature.

Personal life

In his youth, James loved his cousin Mary Temple. In London at age 56, he developed a close relationship with a 27-year-old man and exchanged intense letters with Howard Sturgis. He also corresponded with Lucy Clifford. James never married. The death of his brother William in 1910 hit him hard. He suffered a stroke on December 2, 1915, and died in London on February 28, 1916.

Legacy

Britain appointed Henry James to the Order of Merit in 1916, one of its highest honors. Films and TV series have adapted his works, including The Innocents 1961 and What Maisie Knew 2012. The US Postal Service issued a stamp featuring James in 2016. Jacques Rivette used James’s novella The Other House as the basis for the film within a film in Celine and Julie Go Boating 1974. Readers remember James for his psychologically complex novels and his influence on modern literature.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 1

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Henry James — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Order of Merit

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 167

Henry James's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

The Turn of the Screw

by Henry James
Amazon

The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James
Amazon

Daisy Miller

by Henry James
Amazon

The Ambassadors

by Henry James
Amazon

Washington Square

by Henry James
Amazon

What Maisie Knew

by Henry James
Amazon

The Europeans

by Henry James et al.
Amazon

The Bostonians

by Henry James et al.
Amazon

The American

by Henry James et al.
Amazon

The Aspern Papers

by Henry James et al.
Amazon

The Golden Bowl

by Henry James
Amazon

Hawthorne

by Henry James
Amazon

Tales Of

by Henry James
Amazon

Roderick Hudson

by Henry James

Showing 14 of 167 View all 167 books

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 5

A wall of memorable lines from Henry James — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

To Criticize Is to Appreciate, to Appropriate, to Take Intellectual Possession, to Establish in Fine a Relation with the Criticised Thing and to Make It One’s Own.
I Hold Any Writer Sufficiently Justified Who Is Himself in Love with His Theme.
Live All You Can; It’s a Mistake Not To. It Doesn’t so Much Matter What You Do in Particular, so Long as You Have Your Life. If You Haven’t Had That, What Have You Had?
Paris Is the Greatest Temple Ever Built to Material Joys and the Lust of the Eyes.
I’ve Always Been Interested in People, but I’ve Never Liked Them.

Did you know?

FACTS · 2

Little-known facts about Henry James — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Appeared on an 89-cent US commemorative postage stamp in the Literary Arts series, issued July 31, 2016.
Jacques Rivette used Henry James’s novella The Other House as the basis for the film within a film in Celine and Julie Go Boating 1974, and described James’s work as unfilmable, saying that his works could be filmed diagonally, taking up their themes, but never literally.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 29

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Henry James.

When was Henry James born?

Henry James was born on April 15, 1843. He was born in New York City, New York, USA.
Where was Henry James born?

Henry James was born in New York City, New York, USA. He was born on April 15, 1843.
When did Henry James die?

Henry James died on February 28, 1916. He passed away in London, England, UK.
How old was Henry James when he died?

Henry James was 72 years old when he died. He was born on April 15, 1843 and died on February 28, 1916.
Where did Henry James die?

Henry James died in London, England, UK. He passed away on February 28, 1916.
How did Henry James die?

Henry James suffered a stroke on December 2, 1915 and his health declined. The official cause of death was undisclosed.
What did Henry James do for a living?

Henry James was a writer. He authored 24 novels, many short stories, plays, and literary criticism.
What nationality was Henry James?

Henry James was a United States citizen. At his death, he also held British subject status.
What language did Henry James speak?

Henry James spoke English. It was his native language.
Who were Henry James's parents?

Henry James’s parents were Mary Walsh James and Henry James Sr. His father was a wealthy intellectual.
Did Henry James have any siblings?

Yes, Henry James had two siblings: older brother William James, a philosopher, and younger sister Alice James, a diarist.
Where did Henry James go to school?

Henry James attended Harvard University, briefly studying law. He also received education in New York City, London, Paris, and Geneva.
What awards did Henry James win?

Henry James was awarded the Order of Merit, a high British honor, in 1916.
How many awards did Henry James win?

Henry James won one major award: the Order of Merit, awarded in 1916.
What was Henry James known for?

Henry James is known for his novels The Portrait of a Lady, The Wings of the Dove, and What Maisie Knew, as well as works adapted into films like The Innocents.
What was Henry James's first novel?

Henry James’s first novel was A Tragedy of Error, published when he was 21 years old.
How many novels did Henry James write?

Henry James wrote 24 novels in total, including classics like The Portrait of a Lady and The Wings of the Dove.
Did Henry James write plays?

Yes, Henry James wrote plays, one of which was Guy Domville. They achieved moderate success during his lifetime.
Was Henry James in love with his cousin Mary Temple?

Yes, Henry James was in love with his cousin Mary Temple in his youth, though they never married.
Who were Henry James's siblings?

Henry James had a brother William James, the famous psychologist and philosopher, and a sister Alice James, known for her diary.
Did Henry James go to college?

Henry James briefly attended Harvard Law School at age 19, but he preferred reading literature and left to become a writer.
What citizenship did Henry James have?

Henry James was a U.S. citizen by birth, and he also became a British subject later in life.
Where is Henry James buried?

Henry James was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London, and his ashes are interred in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Did Henry James ever marry?

No, Henry James never married. He had close relationships with men and women but remained single.
When was Henry James featured on a US postage stamp?

Henry James was pictured on an 89-cent USA commemorative postage stamp in the Literary Arts series, issued July 31, 2016.
Which filmmaker used Henry James's work in a film?

Jacques Rivette used Henry James’s novella The Other House as the basis for a film within a film in Celine and Julie Go Boating 1974.
What is Henry James's most famous novel?

One of Henry James’s most famous novels is The Portrait of a Lady, published in 1881.
Did Henry James write short stories?

Yes, Henry James wrote many short stories, often published in newspapers like the New York Tribune.
What was Henry James's writing style?

Henry James is known for his psychological realism and complex character studies, often exploring themes of consciousness and international relations.

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Audited & updated by

If something's wrong in a profile, Daniel will find it. With 7 years of research experience, he's developed an almost unreasonable eye for inaccurate career timelines, misattributed credits, and dates that don't quite add up. He doesn't publish anything he can't verify. The profiles on Famousy are as accurate as they are largely because of work you'll never see his name on.

Published on March 24, 2026

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