The pupil

Henry James was many things, but in my opinion he stands out as an author of novellas. Many of his longer tales have stood the test of time. These tales share a common feature, namely ambiguity. When we are done reading these texts, we are left with two ways in which we may interpret the ending. The author, in other words, does not clarify, does not establish; he leaves it all up to the reader instead. This is almost a formula for James, yet his work doesn't strike the reader as repetitive.