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Preface, Books 1-2

• The following version of this book was used to create this Lesson Plan: James, Henry. The Ambassadors (The New York Version). Doubleday, 1909. Print.

• In the Preface, James avows that The Ambassadors is his best novel.

• James explains that he used a third-person narration because the first-person would have been too loose and casual for such a long novel.

• James further explains that Strether's character is better suited to third-person narration, as he is stiff and proper.

• James explains the characters of Waymarsh and Gostrey, claiming that the latter is meant to be a friend of the reader.

• James calls Maria Gostrey a "ficelle" (French for "spring") to maintain that her character is meant to help the reader better understand Strether.

• A man named Lambert Strether arrives on a boat from the United States to Chester, England. Strether is described as one who has a double-consciousness...

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