The Author of Beltraffio

A young admirer of literature visits the reclusive Mark Ambient, a brilliant but controversial novelist, only to find himself caught in a quiet yet devastating conflict between the author and his wife. As artistic vision clashes with rigid morality, the fate of their young son hangs in the balance. The Author of Beltraffio is a short by Henry James, originally published in the English Illustrated Magazine in 1884. 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].