"It is because these characters depend to such a high degree on their own sense of integrity that for them, victory has nothing to do with happiness. It has more to do with a settling within oneself, a movement inward that makes them whole. Their reward is not happiness — a word that is central in Austen's novels but is seldom used in James's universe. What James's characters gain is self-respect."
Azar Nafisi

January 1, 1970

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Original Language: English

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On Henry James and his novels

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Azar_Nafisi