The Beast in the Jungle

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Henry James, the master of psychological literature, is at it again disturbing readers with the story of a man who feels he might be missing something important in life -- a man who also has a secret, the unstated in his life now which will affect the future. The woman who loves him says it's "the sense of being kept for something rare and strange..."

Almost universally considered one of James' finest short narratives, this story treats appropriately universal themes: loneliness, fate, love and death. The parable of John Marcher and his peculiar destiny has spoken to many readers who have speculated on the worth and meaning of human life.