First published as a serial in 1875, Roderick Hudson marks James’s debut as a significant novelist. Central to this tale is the theme of Americans navigating life in Europe, a recurring motif in much of his work. The story follows Roderick Hudson, a promising young law student from Northampton, Massachusetts, whose unexpected talent for sculpture catches the eye of wealthy patron Rowland Mallett. Mallett decides to support Roderick’s artistic journey in Rome, a vibrant hub of expatriate American culture. As Roderick strives to grow as an artist, he grapples with the complexities of his new environment and the rivalries that emerge with those around him, including Mallett. Notably, two characters from this novel reappear in later works Gloriani, the French-Italian-Yankee sculptor featured again in The American, and Christina Light, who becomes pivotal in Princess Casamassima. (Introduction by Nicholas Clifford)
