The Death of the Lion

The Death of the Lion is a 1894 short story by Henry James.

Plot summary

The narrator suggests writing an article on Neil Paraday; his new editor agrees. The former spends a week with Neil and writes the article whilst there, alongside reading Paraday's latest book. His editor rejects the article however; he decides to write an article for another newspaper, but it goes unnoticed. Neil Paraday gets excited about writing another book, despite the fact that he doesn't seem successful still. However the narrator comes across a praiseful review in "The Empire".

Mr Morrow, a journalist suddenly interested in writing about Neil Paraday's life now that he is successful, comes round and ends up scaring the writer; the narrator manages to see him off. He tells Mr Morrow all there is to know about Paraday is in his work; the journalist is not amused. Later, he publishes an article on Neil's house in the "Tatler". Embracing his fame, Paraday takes to going to London luncheons with women.

The narrator meets Miss Hunter, an American admirer of the writer's, in his house. As the writer is again busy with Mrs Wimbrush, he explains to the girl that the best thing she can do is not to bother Paraday and only admire him from afar, so as not to interfere with his writings. Nevertheless, he keeps her autograph album to show it to him. Later, he meets with her to read passages from Paraday; once while they are at the opera he points Paraday out to her.

The narrator is annoyed with Mrs Wimbrush for inviting Paraday to a party at Prestidge. Subsequently, he quotes from a letter sent to Miss Hunter while he was at the party. In this mise en abyme, he describes the way the other guests have not read Paraday's works; worse still, Lady Augusta confesses to having mislaid the text is expected to read out the next day - there is no extra copy. Paraday falls gravely ill; the guests, enhanced by the Princess, are merry since the party seems to be a success. Dora Forbes joins them - later to become Mrs Wimbrush's next 'henpecked' writer. The party is called off on doctors order; the Princess lets him pass away in one of her houses. Before his death, Paraday had asked the narrator to publish an unfinished text by him. Although the one lost by Lady Augusta has not been found again, the narrator and Miss Hunter shall keep Paraday's memory alive through their dedication to his texts.

Characters

*the narrator
*Mr Pinhorn, the narrator's new editor
*Mr Deedy, the narrator's former editor
*Mrs Deedy, Mr Deedy's wife
*Neil Paraday, a writer
*Mr Paraday's parlour-maid
*Mr Morrow, a name-dropping journalist
*Guy Walsingham, writer of "Obsession"
*Dora Forbes, writer of "The Other Way Round"
*Mrs Wimbrush, an overbearing woman
*Miss Hunter, an American admirer of Paraday's
*Mrs Milson, Miss Hunter's sister, who lives in Paris.
*Mr Rumble, a young painter seeking fame.
*The Princess
*The Duke
*Lady Augusta Minch, who loses a text by Paraday.
*Lord Dorimont
*Miss Collop

References to other works

*Hannah More, Friedrich Schiller, "Arabian Nights", and Gustave Flaubert are mentioned.

References to actual history

*George Washington is mentioned.

External links

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext96/dlion10h.htm Full text]