Introduction Gert Buelens; 1. Power relations in the novels of James: the 'liberal' and the 'radical' version Winfried Fluck; 2. Multiple germs, metaphorical systems, and moral fluctuation in The Ambassadors Richard A. Hocks; 3. James and the ethics of control: aspiring architects and their floating creatures Sarah B. Daugherty; 4. James and the shadow of the Roman Empire: manners and the consenting victim Adrian Poole; 5. What Maisie Knew: Henry James's Bildungsroman of the artist as queer moralist Alfred Habegger; 6. The double narrative of 'The Beast in the Jungle': ethical plot, ironical plot and the play of power Michiel W. Heyns; 7. Homoeroticism, identity and agency in James's late tales Hugh Stevens; 8.'A Provision Full of Responsibilities': Senses of the past in Henry James's fourth phase David McWhirter; 9. Possessing the American scene: race and vulgarity, seduction and judgment Gert Buelens; 10. History, narrative, and responsibility: speech acts in 'The Aspern Papers' J. Hillis Miller; Index.

'… preparing lectures for a course on 'American Philosophy and Literature', this book provides excellent insights and useful guides for navigating Henry James's novels.' Jacob L. Goodson, Journal of American Studies of Turkey