The Ambassadors

Classic Henry James novel.According to the Preface, the essence of the novel is expressed in the following speech: ""Live all you can; it's a mistake not to. It doesn't so much matter what you do in particular so long as you have your life.If you haven't had that what HAVE you had?I'mtoo old--too old at any rate for what I see.What one loses one loses; make no mistake about that.Still, we have the illusion offreedom; therefore don't, like me to-day, be without the memory of thatillusion. I was either, at the right time, too stupid or too intelligent to have it, and now I'm a case of reaction against the mistake.Do what you like

so long as you don't make it.For it WAS a mistake.Live, live!"