Spoils of poynton, the

Originally serialised in the Atlantic Monthly under the title The Old Things, The Spoils of Poynton was first published in book form by Heinemann in 1897. The plot centres upon the valuable antique possessions housed in the home of Adela Gereth which her son Owen, poised to marry the unrefined Mona Brigstock, is clearly coveting. The fourth character, and the principal point of view, is a typically Jamesian female lead called Fleda Vetch who seeks to mediate within the family but who also becomes an object of attraction for Owen. Unusually for a mid to late period James novel, The Spoils of Poynton is more dependent upon plot than might be expected. While the characterisations do move the novel along, they come out second to what's happening and, true to that sense, James supplies an ending that has both resolution and a certain convulsiveness.