The Death of the Lion

Henry James’s fascinating short story “The Death of the Lion” examines the disconnect between a writer and his creation. The protagonists of the tale are famous novelist Neil Paraday and an unidentified narrator who advises writing an article about Paraday. For a week, the narrator reads Paraday’s most recent book and writes an article that, regrettably, gets ignored.

As Paraday succeeds, he draws the interest of a journalist and several admirers, which sets off a chain of circumstances that obstruct his ability to write. The narrative offers a provocative look at celebrity, deception, and how the general public views writers.