What Maisie Knew

Henry James' wordiness and stylistic intricacy are proverbial. They are, for the most part, what has kept me away from his novels, but after reading and enjoying _Washington Square_ (1880) I thought it would be a good idea to try another one of his shorter novels before tackling, say, _The Portrait of a Lady_ (1881) or _The Wings of the Dove_ (1902). _What Maisie Knew_ (1897) seemed to be the best candidate. It is considered to be one of his major works, and one of his most interesting. Its themes have remained relevant, maybe unfortunately so, even 120 years after the novel was published. Beautifully crafted and not marred by obscurity, _What Maisie Knew_ is an engaging novel with a highly sympathetic protagonist. Maisie is a small child of undetermined age whose life, as the novel begins, changes dramatically as a result of her parents' divorce. Her father, Beale, and her mother, Ida, are what we may call--for the sake of simplicity--a mess: irresponsible, frivolous, selfish, promiscuous. They are too similar to each other, but given their lifestyle, in their case this likeness does not result in compatibility, and they simply despise each other. The court decides that Maisie will spend six months at a time with each of her parents. She is, as the narrator puts it, "disposed of in a manner worthy of the judgement-seat of Solomon. She was divided in two and the portions tossed impartially to the disputants." The tossing, unfortunately, doesn't end there. As the narrative develops, Maisie will be tossed from father to stepfather, from nanny to stepmother, from mother to lover, etc. Maisie is looking for something that resembles a family, but the adults around her are too busy pursuing their own selfish interests. _What Maisie Knew_ is an excellent and brutal depiction of adult immaturity. The attitude of most adult characters in the novel towards the child is simply appalling, particularly that of her parents. Of them, it is said that "they had wanted [Maisie] not for any good they could do to her, but for the harm they could, with her unconscious aid, do each other." This description, which takes place in the novel's prologue, is an accurate description of the story's central problem. Maisie is, in a way, an intersection of the lives of several adults who use her for their own purposes. She is, to borrow a phrase from T. S. Eliot, "the still point of the turning world:" as adults make and dissolve alliances around her, she is clear about what she wants. Like the sophisticated children in Penelope Fitzgerald's novels (see _Offshore_ or _At Freddie's_), she is wiser than the adults that should be taking care of her. The reader can only hope that she will manage to remain innocent in the midst of corruption. The novel is also a romance of sorts. When we read a Jane Austen novel for the first time, we wonder who the heroine is "going to end up with." The reader will wonder the same of Maisie. The fact that this heroine is not looking for a romantic partner but for a family makes matters even more complicated, as she must first find a man and a woman who at least tolerate each other, and then worry about whether they want her or not. Throughout the novel, characters will alternately want Maisie or see her as an obstacle to get rid of, and the attitudes of a single character will change according to the circumstances. As I suggested in my first paragraph, James' style is quite under control in _What Maisie Knew_. It seems to me that the novel drags a bit in the middle, but it is only for a moment. I read the last third of the novel non-stop. I feel _Washington Square_ (see my review) did a better job at holding my attention throughout, but in terms of plot _What Maisie Knew_ is much more interesting, its main character easier to sympathize with, and its themes more relatable. One of the obvious messages of this novel is that children are a huge responsibility, and that some parents do not consider the consequences of bringing a child into the world. Another, more positive, message is that immaturity does not necessarily breed immaturity. _What Maisie Knew_ does not offer simplistic answers to complex questions. It merely throws light on the life of a child who is forced to make adult decisions. Finally, a few words about the latest film adaptation (David Siegel & Scott McGehee, 2012), which I saw right after reading the novel. The movie is excellent, elegantly shot, and marvelously acted (especially by Onata Aprile, who plays Maisie, and Julianne Moore, who plays her mother), but purists should be warned that it makes major changes to the story. In the film, the action takes place in New York in modern times. This attests to the universality and the relevance of James' novel. The occupations of Maisie's parents have been changed: her mother is a rock singer, while her father is an art dealer. Their lifestyles, in other words, clash with the responsibility of raising a child, while in the novel James' characters would have plenty of time to devote to Maisie if they only wished to. The stepparents in the movie also experience difficulties. One of them, for instance, is a bartender who does not make much money, so he must work quite a few hours. The film, then, introduces a theme to which many viewers will relate, namely that our modern way of life does not exactly promote the healthy raising of children. Parents who spend quality time with their kids while working full time are true heroes. In a sense, the film is more understanding of the parents and stepparents. Two other modifications are worthy of mention: a crucial character from the novel, Mrs. Wix, is given only a few minutes of screen time in the film, and the movie also alters the ending completely, offering (surprisingly) a more hopeful conclusion. As I said, the film is a great work of art in itself, but keep in mind that--like even the most "faithful" adaptations--it is only that, an adaptation, a version of the original text. (Alright, so my "few words" turned almost into a review of the film...) My next Henry James will probably be one of his long short stories, but I plan to read _The Portrait of a Lady_ (relatively) soon. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!

Perhaps the fault was mine but though I thoroughly enjoyed James' exploration of the uses a child is put to when her parents divorce amid absolute hatred, I also found the resolution disappointing. The plot would be more at home in the late 20th century rather than the late 19th in which it is set as Maisie is passed back and forth between her parents and their new spouses and is used as a weapon of war in the marital struggle. As her parents are revealed to care not a whit for their child the new spouses come to seem more likely than not to provide what care and comfort Maisie can expect in the future. James' famous reticence to commit himself is very much in evidence here as he even keeps it uncertain what age the child is and how much time has passed in the novel's journey. And of course, the ambiguity extends to what and when Maisie knew of the discussions that go on around her. For me though I'll remember a feeling at novel's close of not being sure I particularly cared what Maisie knew perhaps due to the fact that no villain receives his or her comeuppance and Maisie at last failed to gain my sympathy.

I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie. The subject matter is so relevant today. A member of my family is going through a divorce with custody issues being the main issue with one parent using the child to hurt the other making it painful for all involved. I thought reading this story would give me some insight as to why people do this. While the story is wonderful it is a very difficult read and that frustrated me several times. I would find myself putting it down, almost giving up, but I wanted to see how everything played out for this poor child shuttled back and forth between her parents. The story does show that children know more than we think they do about the things happening around them. As I fought my way through this book there were some beautiful and meaningful tidbits but I found myself mired by the writing structure. There were so many long sentences that seemed to go nowhere. Reading the story was very hard work. I almost felt like I was searching for buried treasure within the pages. I have read other Henry James novels, The Portrait of a Lady and Daisy Miller, but that was some time ago and I don't remember being this frustrated with his writing. Now I truly can't wait to see the movie so I can see how the story was adapted for today's modern audience. I hope that it will not only be relevant and entertaining but easier. I had the feeling several times that I had to read this book, like for a school assignment and I was so going to flunk the test.

I think this is one of James's five best novels, and it's shorter than the other four (THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, THE AMBASSADORS, THE WINGS OF THE DOVE and THE GOLDEN BOWL). It's about Maisie, a little girl whose parents divorce and use her as a weapon against one another. The both remarry, and her step-parents are irresponsible and dangerous. All this is told in the third person entirely from Maisie's point of view. Well ... James is a bit subtler than that. As he explains in his own preface to the novel, it is necessary that he should narrate so that adult readers know what's going on, but at the same time stay in Maisie's line of sight, so we can see how everything appears to her, or in other words, What Maisie Knows. And then James gets subtler still, and we never quite find out exactly what it is Maisie knows, though we know that she is tied up with loose-living step-parents in an era when children can be damaged for life if they are even associated with loose living. Maisie is charming and lovable, every chapter a comedy and a heart-breaker all at once. The Oxford Kindle edition has well-linked informative notes and an excellent introduction, as well as James's preface from the New York Edition of the short novel. There couldn't be a better buy for a James fan.

I like to read a Henry James novel every year or so: I love the clarity of his thought and the ethical dilemmas that he presents to his characters (and his readers!). This short novel is incredibly modern in its subject-matter: a little girl, fruit of a loveless marriage who is neglected by both her parents. Maisie is a very attrattive child to the reader: never precocious or irritating. James pulls off the incredible feat of an unmarried, middle-aged man writing from a child's prespective, and his writing is both believable and moving. Read it and be prepared to have your heart broken!

A must for any bookworm.

ein sehr interessantes Thema, erstklassige Dialoge, die es auf den Punkt bringen, ansonsten einige Länge, die man aber nicht Wort für Wort lesen muss

alta professionalità e cortesia, molto veloci e disponibili. Molto utile sia per divertimento ma anche come nel mio caso per lo studio.

Interesante para estudiantes y estudiosos del autor y su época pero absolutamente desfasada como lectura de entretenimiento.