Wings of the Dove is a gravely,
gravely, gravely, seriously unfinished novel by Henry James..
probably Henry James's most unfinished, incomplete novel.. it's the
father.. Kate Croy's father is a huge, huge, huge, hugely important
character in the novel .. and he's in one short chapter.. Kate Croy's
father is in one lousy chapter...
.. a message from Henry James..
.. p.s....
.. please don't do with me what
future commentaters did with Dostoevsky, when Dostoevsky clearly
stated that he was unhappy with “The Idiot” and that the novel
was a failure... don't do with what I just wrote about “the wings
of the Dove” what some woebegone essayists on Dostoevksy will
inevitably do in their grossly underinformed misinterpretation of
Dostoevksy's clear statement that “The Idiot” was a failure, when
they misinterpret, grossly, flagrantly, abjectly misinterpret
Dostoevsky's clear statement as a statement that the novel, “The
Idiot” was a novel whose theme was failure.. please don't do that
with anything I say about “the Wings of the Dove” being an
incomplete work.. it is.. it profoundly, profoundly is.. because for
a simple reason.. Kate Croy's father is hardly in the book.. that's
all the case there is to it... Dostoevsky really did mean that “the
Idiot” his novel “the Idiot” was that it WAS a failure of a
novel and that he didn't say I believe a tenth of what he wanted to
say with the book.. in terms of not misinterpreting my comments about
“the wings of the dove”.. those who believe in courtesy to living
authors (at least) will observe this point..
.. a note from Henry James...
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