The Beast in the Jungle

John Marcher has spent his life convinced that an extraordinary fate awaits him—something sinister, inevitable, and life-altering. In the quiet companionship of May Bartram, he finds someone who understands his secret vigil. But as time passes, the truth of his destiny reveals itself in a way he never expected. Henry James’ The Beast in the Jungle is a masterful study of fate, self-absorption, and the cost of waiting for life to begin. The novella was originally published 1903 as part of the collection The Better Sort. HENRY JAMES [1843 -1916] was born in New York but emigrated to Europe early in life. He is one of the most important figures in Anglo-Saxon turn-of-the-century literature, with novels such as The American [1877] and the horror novel The Turn of the Screw [1898].