What Maisie Knew ‎(‎1897‎)‎ represents one of James‎'‎s finest reflections on the rites of passage from wonder to knowledge‎,‎ and the question of their finality‎.‎ The child of violently divorced parents‎,‎ Maisie Farange opens her eyes on a distinctly modern world‎.‎ Mothers and fathers keep changing their partners and names‎,‎ while she herself becomes the pretext for all sorts of adult sexual intrigue‎.‎ In this classic tale of the death of childhood‎,‎ there is a savage comedy that owes much to Dickens‎.‎ But for his portrayal of the child‎'‎s capacity for intelligent ‎'‎wonder‎'‎‎,‎ James summons all the subtlety he devotes elsewhere to his most celebrated adult protagonists‎.‎ Neglected and exploited by everyone around her‎,‎ Maisie inspires James to dwell with extraordinary acuteness on the things that may pass between adult and child‎.‎ In addition to a new introduction‎,‎ this edition of the novel offers particularly detailed notes‎,‎ bibliography‎,‎ and a list of variant readings‎.‎ ABOUT THE SERIES‎:‎ For over 100 years Oxford World‎'‎s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe‎.‎ Each affordable volume reflects Oxford‎'‎s commitment to scholarship‎,‎ providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features‎,‎ including expert introductions by leading authorities‎,‎ helpful notes to clarify the text‎,‎ up‎-to‎-date bibliographies for further study‎,‎ and much more‎.‎