Henry James's story “Glasses” was published in the

Atlantic Monthly

in February 1896 and was included, in the same year, in James's book

Embarrassments

, together with the better-known “The Figure in the Carpet”, “The Next Time”, and “The Way it Came”. Narrated by an American portrait painter who is both an observer and a participant in the story, “Glasses” is set in the English resort town of Folkestone and revolves around a young woman, Flora Saunt, who first captivates the narrator's professional interest for the extraordinary beauty of her face. As the narrator soon discovers, not only is Flora keenly aware of being blessed with uncommonly attractive features, but she regards them as her only valuable property, the one card she can play to obtain financial security,…

989 words

Citation: Buonomo, Leonardo. "Glasses". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 April 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21673, accessed 19 March 2024.]

21673 Glasses 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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