The Ivory Tower

The Ivory Tower Synopsis

The Ivory Tower was published posthumously in 1917. It is an unfinished novel by Henry James consisting of first three books completed and a "treatment" left behind which serves as a roadmap to the seven chapters that were to follow the already finished chapters. The book intended to attack the lasseiz-faire capitalism and the excessive wealth some people acquired.

The first three chapters follow the story of Graham Fielder, who visits Frank Betterman, his dying uncle, and ends up receiving a huge inheritance on Betterman's death. The inheritance is so large that a baffled Graham, who doesn't know what to do with this new found fortune, appoints a manager, Horton Vint to help him with its management. From the transcripts and notes left behind, it can be perceived that James wanted Vint to betray Graham's trust and in the conclusion Fielder will forgive Vint for all that he has done.

The book got widespread critical acclaim after its publication as people praised James for raising his voice against the filthy rich plutocrats of the Gilded Age. As his last book, The Ivory Tower reserves a special importance amongst all his other works.