Roderick Hudson

British-American author Henry James wrote the masterpiece Roderick Hudson and it did exceptionally well given that it was his debut novel. Before James R. Osgood & Company printed it as a multivolume compilation it first appeared in a serialized form in 1875 published over the course of several issues of The Atlantic Monthly. The narrative is a bildungsroman that charts the heros maturation as well as the emotional psychological and moral development he experiences along the way. The titular figure is a sculptor whose talent wins him the support of a wealthy benefactor altering both mens lives and futures for all time. For Henry James rather than the plot of the story the main focus is always on the psychoanalysis of the characters and the inspection of their motivations. This book especially has a lot which can be dissected and compared. The comparison of master and craftsman is very apparent. The gifted and brilliant Roderick is put head to head with a hardworking simpleton. The brotherhood between Roderick and Rowland Mallet is unwavering so much so that often they seem like opposing halves of a whole.