This collection of prefaces, originally written for the 1909 multi-volume New York Edition of Henry James&;s fiction, first appeared in book form in 1934 with an introduction by poet and critic R. P. Blackmur. In his prefaces, James tackles the great problems of fiction writing&;character, plot, point of view, inspiration&;and explains how he came to write novels such as The Portrait of a Lady and The American. As Blackmur puts it, &;criticism has never been more ambitious, nor more useful.&; The latest edition of this influential work includes a foreword by bestselling author Colm Tóibín, whose critically acclaimed novel The Master is told from the point of view of Henry James. As a guide not only to James&;s inspiration and execution, but also to his frustrations and triumphs, this volume will be valuable both to students of James&;s fiction and to aspiring writers.