The novelette is based on the posthumous pursuit of Shelley's papers from his former very close friend (and possibly lover), Claire Clairmont. In The Aspern Papers an unnamed editor of the papers of deceased poet Jeffrey Aspern weasels himself into the home of Aspern's former mistress and subject of many of his poems, seeking to obtain from her papers (the nature of which is not given but presumably means letters, diaries, unpublished poems, or the like) which she has and has for years refused to sell or give scholarly access to.
The former mistress, Juliana Bordereau, now a very old woman, lives in Venice with her niece, Miss Tina. The editor, under a false name, rents rooms in her house hoping to get access to the women and the papers.
The center of the story is the development of the relationships among the three characters.
The descriptions of Venice are perhaps the most interesting and a bonus that come with the story. The writing is excellent, not surprising for Henry James.
It's quite fascinating to follow the narrator's progress, seeing him plot, attempt to justify his actions, pity himself and check himself whenever he's aware that he is about to do something which may ruin his chances.
He's a calculating monster, but in a way you want him to succeed, both because you feel he deserves something for his efforts and because he has to put up with two very difficult women to get at the papers.
It's an intense and suspenseful novella with a few short bursts of melodrama, some near-gothic moments and an impressive, well-written ending.
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