Henry James was one of the greatest prose writers in American literature. Enormously prolific, James authored 22 novels, hundreds of short stories, and dozens of volumes of non-fiction including biographies, travel writing, art and literary criticism, and memoirs. James's public remained limited during his lifetime, but, after a revival of interest in his work during the 1940-s and '50-s, he reached an ever-widening audience. His works were translated in many countries, and he was recognized in the late 20th century as one of the subtlest craftsmen who ever practiced the art of the novel. . .He is best known for a number of novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between emigre Americans, English people, and continental Europeans -examples of such novels include The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, and The Wings of the Dove. James favored internal, psychological drama, and his work is often about conflicts between imaginative protagonists and their difficult environments.