What Maisie Knew
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Average rating2.8
What Maisie Knew (1897) represents one of James's finest reflections on the rites of passage from wonder to knowledge, and the question of their finality. The child of violently divorced parents, Maisie Farange opens her eyes on a distinctly modern world. Mothers and fathers keep changing their partners and names, while she herself becomes the pretext for all sorts of adult sexual intrigue. In this classic tale of the death of childhood, there is a savage comedy that owes much to Dickens. But for his portrayal of the child's capacity for intelligent `wonder', James summons all the subtlety he devotes elsewhere to his most celebrated adult protagonists. Neglected and exploited by everyone around her, Maisie inspires James to dwell with extraordinary acuteness on the things that may pass between adult and child. In addition to a new introduction, this edition of the novel offers particularly detailed notes, bibliography, and a list of variant readings.
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I really liked the past Henry James novels I've read, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it was a major letdown. I could barely get through this novel and if I didn't have to read it for a class, I would definitely have DNFed it. I can see how it has some critical acclaim and the interesting facets of the story, but it was such a drawn-out and bland storyline that I was bored the whole way through.
Accurate to the point of caricature, but sadly this is how children are used as ammunition in the battles amongst adults. Still quite funny tho, but with the many allusions i found myself at times as lost as poor Maisie.
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