|
Late James is notoriously difficult stuff. I'm not sure I've finished any of them, but I often find myself picking them up and reading a few pages at a random spot.
I've probably started more James than I've finished. He is an incredibly frustrating writer in that he's a genius who is often very boring. The good stuff is great, the slow stuff is torture.
But it's easy to figure out which book belongs to which category. If after five pages you're not sure who is doing what for what reason, move on. Chapter two will not go down easier.
But without James and Conrad, I find it difficult to imagine 20th century literary modernism happening. For a number of important reasons, no serious student of literature can avoid him.
As far as actually liking him, I'm not sure. Sometimes yes, often no. And if someone is not interested in history of lit (no reason why anyone should feel compelled to be interested), and if the style and themes of James aren't of interest, I think skipping him altogether is not a bad idea.
|