How a Henry James novel helps explain the fascination with murder suspect Luigi Mangione

A good-looking young man with a mysterious past carries a loaded gun, ready to kill, on the streets of the world’s financial capital.

This scene not only describes Luigi Mangione’s alleged murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown New York – and the ensuing flood of media attention – but also the plot of one of Henry James’ lesser-read novels, The Princess Casamassima.

The high-profile slaying and James’ novel help explain the public’s fascination with political violence, and even more about the psychological guessing game that accompanies those extreme acts.

Like Mangione, the novel leaves readers wanting to know more – both Mangione and James’ stories give clues, but not the full picture, of why a person would commit such violence.

A novel of political violence

Born in the US before moving to Europe, James is considered one of the most skilled writers of modern literary fiction. The Princess Casamassima, however, is usually overshadowed by classics such as The Portrait of a Lady and The Turn of the Screw.

Serialised in The Atlantic from 1885 to 1886, the novel tells the story of working-class and aristocratic leftists who are caught in various love triangles.

It also centres on the psychological experience of being a political radical at a time of rampant economic inequality and anarchist unrest. The late 19th century was a hotbed…

Read more