Books with title What Maisie Knew

After her parents' bitter divorce, young Maisie Farange finds herself turned into a 'little feathered shuttlecock' to be swatted back and forth by her selfish mother, Ida, and her vain father, Beale, who value her only as a means of provoking one another. And when both take lovers and remarry, Maisie-solitary, observant and wise beyond her years- is drawn into an entangled adult world of intrigue and sexual betrayal, until she is finally compelled to choose her own future.

Novel by Henry James, published in 1897. Set mostly in England, the novel is related from the perspective of Maisie, a preadolescent whose parents were divorced when she was six years old and who spends six months of the year with each parent. The only emotional constant in Maisie's life is Mrs. Wix, a motherly old governess. Maisie's parents marry other partners, but neither marriage succeeds. Her new stepparents are attracted to each other, divorce Maisie's parents, and marry. Maisie knows intuitively that she cannot depend on the adults in her life, and she chooses to live with Mrs. Wix, on whose unconditional love she can depend.

What Maisie Knew is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Chap-Book and (revised and abridged) in the New Review in 1897 and then as a book later that year. It tells the story of the sensitive daughter of divorced, irresponsible and narcissistic parents. The book follows the title character from earliest childhood to precocious maturity.When Beale and Ida Farange are divorced, the court decrees that their only child, the very young Maisie, will shuttle back and forth between them, spending six months of the year with each. The parents are immoral and frivolous, and they use Maisie to intensify their hatred of each other. Beale Farange marries Miss Overmore, Maisie's pretty governess, while Ida marries the likeable but weak Sir Claude. Maisie gets a new governess: the frumpy, somewhat ridiculous, but devoted Mrs. Wix.Both Ida and Beale soon cheat on their spouses; in turn, Sir Claude and the new Mrs. Farange begin an affair with each other. Maisie's parents abandon her and she becomes largely the responsibility of Sir Claude. Eventually, Maisie must decide if she wants to remain with Sir Claude and Mrs. Farange. In the book's long final section, set in France, the older (probably teenaged) Maisie struggles to choose between them and Mrs Wix, and concludes that her new parents' relationship will likely end as her biological parents' did. She leaves them and goes to stay with Mrs. Wix, her most reliable adult guardian.

After her parents' bitter and brutal divorce, young Maisie Farange finds herself pushed back and forth by her selfish mother, Ida, and her vain father, Beale, who value her only as a tool for provoking one another. And when both parents move on and remarry, Maisie - solitary, observant and wise beyond her years - is drawn into a messy and very adult world of lies and betrayal; until she is finally forced to choose her own way of independent living. A deeply serious and unsettling work from a child's perspective, about a child's and all children's intrinsic value as such - innocent and vulnerable. Another great work by a literary master!

First published in 1897 in The Chap-Book, one of the most popular literary magazines in America at the end of the 19th century, and a bit later in the New Review in an abridged version, What Maisie Knew is one of the less known writings by Henry James, but one that doesn’t lack the depth, the insight into human nature and the criticism of the moral attitudes of the age that have made James such an extraordinary novelist.The book explores the topic of divorce, still very rare at the time the novel was written and the theme of dysfunctional families, while also providing a glimpse into the complex and often mysterious universe of childhood. The story of What Maisie Knew starts with the divorce of Maisie’s parents, following which the girl divides her time between her parents, spending six months a year with her mother and the rest of the year with her father.Neither Maisie’s mother, nor her father pays sufficient attention to the girl and she soon understands that her parents use her against each other. As can be expected, she grows up to be a very disillusioned, often cynical young lady. She develops extraordinary coping skills and becomes very resilient, too – both her parents remarry not long after the divorce, so Maisie is faced with lots of strange and very often painful situations she must adjust to.Maisie is a typical Jamesian character. In the beginning, she is an innocent child who becomes the victim of the selfishness and deplorable behavior of her parents and, by the end, at the still young age of thirteen, she is wise enough to come up with her own understanding of right and wrong, interpretation that she comes to based on her own horrible experiences, which no child should ever have in the first place.

What Maisie Knew 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.

What did Maisie know? At first, not much. She is only six years old when her mother and father divorce. Sharing custody, her embittered parents use the child as a pawn in their battles with each other. Neglected and exploited, Maisie sees and hears her parents' adulterous affairs, their remarriages, and their utter immaturity and selfishness, hastening her advance from childhood to precocious maturity. Not just a tale of innocence corrupted, What Maisie Knew sparkles with dark humor and savage wit. Henry James takes particular aim at the mores of the English upper classes in his tale of a sensitive girl and her spirited reaction to thoughtless, selfish adults. Written in an era when divorce was far less common than it is today, this 1897 novel is strikingly modern. The story of the sensitive daughter of divorced, irresponsible parents, What Maisie Knew has great contemporary relevance as an unflinching account of a wildly dysfunctional family.

Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden Leaf Printing on round Spine (extra customization on request like complete leather, Golden Screen printing in Front, Color Leather, Colored book etc.) Reprinted in 2019 with the help of original edition published long back [1897]. This book is printed in black & white, sewing binding for longer life, Printed on high quality Paper, re-sized as per Current standards, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, we processed each page manually and make them readable but in some cases some pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume, if you wish to order a specific or all the volumes you may contact us. We expect that you will understand our compulsion in these books. We found this book important for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure so we brought it back to the shelves. Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions. Lang: - English, Pages 485. EXTRA 10 DAYS APART FROM THE NORMAL SHIPPING PERIOD WILL BE REQUIRED FOR LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. COMPLETE LEATHER WILL COST YOU EXTRA US$ 25 APART FROM THE LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. {FOLIO EDITION IS ALSO AVAILABLE.}

When Beale and Ida Farange are divorced, the court decrees that their only child, the very young Maisie, will shuttle back and forth between them, spending six months of the year with each. The parents are immoral and frivolous, and they use Maisie to intensify their hatred of each other. Beale Farange marries Miss Overmore, Maisie’s pretty governess, while Ida marries the likeable but weak Sir Claude. Maisie gets a new governess: the frumpy, somewhat-ridiculous but devoted Mrs. Wix. Both Ida and Beale soon cheat on their spouses; in turn, Claude and the new Mrs. Farange begin an affair with each other. Maisie’s parents essentially abandon her and she becomes largely the responsibility of Sir Claude. Eventually, Maisie must decide if she wants to remain with Sir Claude and Mrs. Farange. In the book’s long final section set in France, the older (probably teenaged) Maisie struggles to choose between them and Mrs Wix, and concludes that her new parents’ relationship will likely end as her biological parents’ did. She leaves them and goes to stay with Mrs. Wix, her most reliable adult guardian.