The Ambassadors

The Ambassadors
by Henry James
read: circa 2001
Modern Library #27, Guardian 1000 Novels

I took one English class in college (American Fiction 1900 - 1940).  The Ambassadors was the first book we had to read for class.  Our Professor was big on the idea that our writing should have a natural voice, like we were speaking.  I think we might have had an exercise where we had to read our papers aloud to another student.  One thing he told us was that Henry James dictated this novel to a secretary rather than writing it down himself.  This gives it that natural voice.

I remember little about the novel itself.