This early novel by James is written in the first person by "James Young", and tells of his early experiences of the deaths of his father and brother, and his enduring love for his childhood companion, Emily. We watch the development of his character, influenced by these early experiences, family, education and enduring love as he becomes a Desultory Man. Unlike James's other works, this is written as a series of sketches, thoughts and poems.(Summary by LynneT)
Chapters
1 Dedication to Miss M.L. Boyle 6 min 2 The Desultory Man 41 min 3 The Ramble 6 min 4 The Recompense 9 min 5 The Paintings 9 min 6 The Lover's Leap 17 min 7 The Chateau 8 min 8 La Galette 9 min 9 English Travellers on the Continent 7 min 10 Dieppe -- The Evening 3 min 11 The Story of the Beauty of Arles 43 min 12 The Story of the Beauty of Arles -- continued 31 min 13 Two Scenes from the Civil War Scene I 20 min 14 Two Scenes from the Civil War Scene II 8 min 15 To W.H. -- Esq 13 min 16 The Journey 18 min 17 Words and Things 10 min 18 A French Cook 6 min 19 The Table D'Hote 10 min 20 The Peasant of Brittany Chapter I 11 min 21 Chapter II 13 min 22 Chapter III 10 min 23 Chapter IV 11 min 24 Chapter V 10 min 25 The Disasters 46 min 26 The Waking 5 min 27 The Place of Dreams 5 min 28 The Fate of the Doc de Biron 42 min 29 Saint Radigonde 4 min 30 The Curiosities 4 min 31 The Bottle of Sautern 3 min 32 The Field of Poitiers 6 min 33 The Diligence 33 min 34 A Party of Pleasure 24 min 35 The Story of the Bad Spirit 16 min 36 Abul Coumel and his Talisman 10 min 37 Bobeche 19 min 38 La Chasse 5 min 39 Distinctions 10 min 40 Beggars 16 min 41 La Brede 9 min 42 The Chateau of Blancford 5 min 43 Scraps Number I -- The Lady and the Flower 8 min 44 Scraps Number II -- Lines to a Withered Rose 2 min 45 Scraps Number III -- Desultory Conversations with the Man in the Moon by A Travelled Gentleman 12 min 46 Scraps Number IV -- A Young Lady's Story 10 min 47 Scraps Number V -- The Law of Babylon. Memoir 5 min 48 Scraps Number VI -- Written in a Book of Dreams 2 min 49 Scraps Number VII -- Rabas 3 min 50 Domestic Life in France 7 min 51 Travelling 10 min 52 A Prime Minister's Monkey 5 min 53 Aire 9 min 54 The Birth-Place of Henry IV 11 min 55 Fleurette 8 min 56 The Eaux Bonnes 14 min 57 The Eaux Chaudes 13 min 58 The Friends 4 min 59 Nothing 3 min 60 Le Sorcier 21 min 61 A Miracle 7 min 62 The Reproof of Alli 12 min 63 The Visions of Hassan 13 min 64 The Story of Azimantium 44 min 65 The Story of Azimantium continued 35 min 66 The Fisherman of Scarphout. Chapter I 18 min 67 The Fisherman of Scarphout. Chapter II 29 min 68 The Use of Time 14 min 69 The Last Fire. A Vision of Steam 10 min 70 The Voyage of Life 3 min 71 The Prison and the Castle 3 min 72 Prisoner's Song 8 min 73 Adieu to Pau 1 min 74 Lourdes 6 min 75 The Devil and the Crusader 9 min 76 Argeles 4 min 77 Cauterets 9 min 78 The Lac de Gaub 7 min 79 St. Sauveur 7 min 80 Bareges 6 min 81 Gavarnie 5 min 82 The Cascade of Gavarnie 5 min 83 The Breche de Roland 15 min 84 The Discovery 25 min 85 The History of a French Artisan During the Last Revolution 44 min 86 The Night 3 min
