The Beast in the Jungle

First published in 1903 as part of the collection called The Better Sort, The Beast in the Jungle is a short novella about John Marcher who has a strong foreboding that his life will be defined by one single spectacular event. He meets May Bartram, a woman he knew earlier in his life and they decide to live together ostensibly so that she might witness this profound event that he is sure will take place, the prophetic beast, waiting in the jungle to ambush him. Once the James reveals the nature of that event it's far too late to change course. The story can be read as a parable about the meaning or direction of life, but it can also be read autobiographically. James never married and, we might presume, had limited relations with women. He might have married more than once but decided not to. This story, written late in his career can be seen as looking back on a life with regret, though not a life without achievement.