A well written and intriguing novel, but for me it was more clever than enjoyable. ( )

This clever literary novel gives an interesting slice of the life of Henry James, the story of his writing of "The Aspern Papers". It also tells the story of the real life inspiration for his novel, the aging English woman, Claire Clairemont, living in Florence until her death in 1879. Ms Clairemont was a lover of Lord Byron and the mother of his daughter Allegra who died tragically at age 4. Ms Clairemont was also a stepsister of Mary Shelley and lived with the Shelleys for many years, possibly having another child with Percy Shelley. In her old age Ms Clairmont was preyed upon by her lodger who was an obsessive Shelleyite and supposedly determined to obtain her letters from Shelley and any other valuable literary papers which she might have in her possession.

The book also highlights the career of Constance Fenimore Woolson who was a bestselling American novelist in the 1870's and 1880's and all but forgotten today. She was a close friend of James and spent time with him in Italy, Switzerland and London during the writing of the book. Their actual relationship has been a bit of a mystery. They never married. Ms Woolson committed suicide in Venice in 1894 and the author imagines the conflicting emotions that may have led to her suicide.

And while literary names are flying about it should be mentioned that Ms. Woolson was the great-niece of the American writer James Fenimore Cooper who wrote "The Last of the Mohicans".

Another novel about Henry James is , of course, "Author, Author" by David Lodge . ( )