This collection is made up of the later works in Henry James's repertoire, into which he threw the full weight of his creative fears - notably those concerned with the life he missed out on while distilling his experiences into literature. The stories explore the stairwells of the mind, where consciousness is figured as a place, where one could, terrifyingly, encounter one's alter ego. Tales such as 'The Beast in the Jungle' and 'The Jolly Corner' in this collection are such horror stories of the self. James' obsession with confrontation and escape is evident throughout this volume, often with marriage as the central tenet, as in 'The Bench of Desolation'. They are not without comedy, however, as with the wild goose chase which makes up the central narrative in 'The Figure in the Carpet'.

Frances Wilson has selected these eleven stories and provided an original introduction to James's work.