What Maisie Knew
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- $1.99
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
Originally serialised in the New Review in 1897 before being published in book form later that year, What Maisie Knew details the fate of a young daughter, Maisie of the title, as she is flung back and forth between divorced parents who care very little about what might be good for her. The narrative follows Maisie's impressions as her parent, Beale and Ida Farange, are divorced, find new partners, passing her back and forth twice a year and change her governess.
In its subject matter, What Maisie Knew, is a furious indictment of English society as James saw it, particularly the abdication of parental responsibilities. While life in late Victorian England might seem tame by today's standards, James saw it otherwise and the novel is testament to a society moved by greed and selfishness.
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Young Maisie Farange finds herself the unwitting pawn in her parents' divorce, as her mother and father use her as a tool for personal attacks. As both parents find new romantic partners, Maisie, who is mature beyond her age, is thrust even further into an adult world of betrayal and sexual gamesmanship. In this audio edition, Maureen O'Brien delivers a standout performance of James's classic novella. Even for audiences who might not enjoy James's prose, O'Brien's narration is both gripping and suitably melancholy. She captures the boiling anger of the adult world, as well as Maisie's sadness and confusion. Maisie's relationship with her governess Mrs. Wix, the sole point of emotional consistency in the young girl's life, is particularly poignant, thanks to O'Brien's reading. Though there's relatively little dialogue in James's work most of the action takes place through narration, filtered through Maisie's point of view O'Brien excels at creating unique personalities for the different characters. Her Maisie, in particular, sounds like a child intelligent but also extremely vulnerable.
