Scottish Literature

[Malcopool]

Which novelist's work has been characterised as having three periods: James I, James II and the Old Pretender?

[ajcross]

This refers to Henry James (1843-1916), the Anglo-American novelist and playwright. 'James I' alludes to his guise as the master of the nineteenth century novel and its traditions; 'James II' to his more realist mode; and, finally, 'Old Pretender' perhaps cuttingly refers to his less controlled final period, which included the production of several unsuccessful plays.

[Malcopool]

Thanks - on looking up the references to Henry there are many that refer to a joke about his three periods as mentioned in my question