What Maisie Knew: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
What Maisie Knew: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
What Maisie Knew is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for James, Henry (1843–1916).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"What Maisie Knew" by Henry James is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story centers around a young girl named Maisie Farange, caught in the tumultuous aftermath of her parents' bitter divorce. As they battle over custody, she becomes a pawn in their ongoing conflicts, revealing the complexities of adult relationships through a child’s innocent perspective. The opening of the novel introduces us to a courtroom scene where the divorce and custody arrangements of Maisie are being discussed. The narrative highlights the inappropriate behaviors and attitudes of both parents, particularly as they prepare to share their daughter in a highly unconventional arrangement. Ms. Farange's mother is depicted as vain and resentful, while her father, Beale, is shown to be careless and dismissive. Maisie's sensitivity shines through as she seeks to navigate the emotional chaos inflicted upon her by her parents, baffled by their conflicting views. Though caught in the midst of adult grievances, she remains naive about the true nature of her situation, which foreshadows her journey of growing awareness and understanding in a world fraught with adult contradictions.
Book and edition facts
- Title: What Maisie Knew
- Author credits: James, Henry (1843–1916)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Bildungsromans
- Children of divorced parents -- Fiction
- Domestic fiction
- Girls -- Fiction
- Governesses -- Fiction
- Remarried people -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: British Literature
- Category: Classics of Literature
- Category: Novels
Read this edition
View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
Sources
More in Books & Authors
Keep reading
