Description: Following a violent and messy divorce, young Maisie Farange floats back and forth between her parents, Beale and Ida, who use her as a weapon to torment each other in their on-going, internecine war. Eventually the parents remarry, and it becomes clear that the new spouses care more for Maisie than her own parents. Beale and Ida soon embark on a series of extramarital affairs, leaving Maisie in the care of the new step-parents, who begin their own affair with each other. What Maisie Knew is a remarkable tour de force from James's late-middle period, and an insightful look at the psyche of a child who is thrust into the adult world of drama and failed relationships.
Brief description:
Henry James (1843-1916), American novelist, short-story writer, and man of letters, was born in Washington Place, New York, to a family of distinguished philosophers and theologians. He attended schools in New York, Boston, and throughout Europe, where he later settled. A major figure in the history of the novel, he is celebrated as a master craftsman who brought his great art and impeccable technique to bear in the development of abiding moral themes.
Review Quotes:
"Juliet Stevenson provides a compelling narration of Henry James's story about innocence, social class, and morality....Seemingly effortlessly, Stevenson changes her voice to match her characters' traits: Maisie's innocent demeanor, her stepfather Sir Claude's confident poise, her stepmother Ms. Overmore's patronizing personality, her nanny Mrs. Wix's didactic disposition, and her parents Ida's and Beale's narcissistic attitudes. Stevenson's pace is slow and steady--in harmony with every moment. However, even with her elegant English accent, her performance is challenged by the author's long sentences. Overall, though, Stevenson's pleasant narration makes James's complex and long-winded novel an auditory treat. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."
-- "AudioFile"