Jamesian
- adjective
- /ˈdʒeɪmz.i.ən/
- Literature
- The novel's intricate character development and psychological depth reflect a truly Jamesian style.
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Watch on YouTubeLet us face things exactly as they are, she writes in one of her many Jamesian sentences.
- Let us face things exactly as they are, she writes in one of her many Jamesian sentences.
Examples
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West's admiration for Henry James is well documented, and Jenny has frequently been considered a Jamesian narrator, positioned from one limited point of view.
Academic text (2017) -
Jamesian scholars traditionally trace this condition either to the emotional rigor of James's family upbringing or to the "homosexual panic" of the author.
Academic text (2003) -
Let us face things exactly as they are, she writes in one of her many Jamesian sentences.
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It's an accurate reading of a very Jamesian situation, but one in which the underlying passion and the shattering conclusion are muted.
Blog text (20) -
Leon said to me, not long ago, talking of younger Jamesian scholars and of his own achievement: "They'll soon be rewriting me."
Academic text (1997) -
Another Jamesian variation on the ideologem of loss is his novel The Ambassadors (1903).
Academic text (2003) -
He thought about the other transformation: how the cheap scoundrel of 1871 in Watch and Ward became a finely responsive Jamesian gentleman by 1910.
Fiction book (1991) -
Critics often praise her writing for its Jamesian qualities, particularly its focus on inner thoughts.
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His use of detailed descriptions and complex narratives shows a Jamesian approach to storytelling.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Jamesian = James (transparent) = James + ian
The adjective is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ian' to the proper name 'James', clearly meaning 'relating to James'.
Etymology
Jamesian comes from the name James plus the ending -ian, which means 'of or relating to', just like Victorian means 'of Queen Victoria'. A 'Jamesian' novel is named after Henry James, so it pays close attention to characters' inner lives and to small social details.