The Princess Casamassima: A Novel

"The Princess Casamassima: A Novel" by Henry James is a fiction work written in the late 19th century. The narrative centers around the life of Hyacinth Robinson, a young boy being raised by a dressmaker named Miss Amanda Pynsent, against a backdrop of social class struggles and questions of identity. The story delves into themes of nobility, the burdens of heritage, and the complexities of personal relationships as the characters navigate their intertwined fates. The opening of "The Princess Casamassima" introduces us to Miss Pynsent, who is caught in a moment of restless anxiety while waiting for a young boy, Hyacinth. The reader witnesses her thoughts as she grapples with her social status and her secret hope that Hyacinth is of noble descent, unbeknownst to him. Miss Pynsent's life is complicated by the impending reappearance of Hyacinth's mother, a convict, and her fears about the boy's future. This creates an atmosphere of tension as Miss Pynsent struggles between her attachment to Hyacinth and the societal implications of his origins, setting the stage for the unfolding drama between personal affection and public reputation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Henry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.