Book excerpt: This book is a novel by the American writer Henry James, first published in 1917. The novel explores themes of time, memory, and the nature of art, and is notable for its complex narrative structure and psychological insight. Percy Lubbock was a friend and biographer of James, and his introduction adds valuable context to the novel. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.