The Nets of Modernism - Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Sigmund Freud - Analysis and criticism

Sep 21, 2026

The Nets of Modernism synthesizes scholarship on modernism, psychoanalysis, and Irish literature through close readings of Henry James, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf. It connects developing technological networks in modernity to the structures of modernist fiction, while linking these effects to Freudian psychoanalysis. The study focuses on images of bodily violation and exchange—scar, bite, wound, and related psychic equivalents—and traces how such imagery aligns with “vampirism” and early twentieth-century cultural obsessions, offering a new interdisciplinary perspective.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages251

Reading Time6 h 27 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: what hole?

The modernist rat

Strandentwining cables: Henry James’s The Ambassadors

The Woolf woman

The darkened blind: Joyce, Gide, Larsen, and the modernist short story

The name and the scar: identity in The Odyssey and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Skinscapes in Ulysses

Afterword

Notes

Bibliography

Index

THE NETS OF MODERNISM Maud Ellmann synthesizes her work on modernism, psychoanalysis, and Irish literature in this important new book. In sinuous readings of Henry James, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, she examines the interconnections between developing technological networks in modernity and the structures of modernist ﬁction, linking both to Freudian psychoanalysis. The Nets of Modernism examines the signiﬁcance of images of bodily violation and exchange – scar, bite, wound, and their psychic equivalents – showing how these images correspond to “vampirism” and related obsessions in early twentieth-century culture. Subtle, original, and a pleasure to read, this book oﬀers a new perspective on the inter-implications of Freudian psychoanalysis and anglophone modernism that will inﬂuence the ﬁeld for years to come. 􀀂 􀀃􀀄 􀀅 􀀆 􀀇 􀀇 􀀂 􀀃 􀀈 􀀈, formerly the Donald and Marilyn Keough Professor of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, is currently the Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Professor of the Development of the Novel in English at the University of Chicago. A well-known scholar of modernism and psychoanalysis, she has also written The Poetics of Impersonality: T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound (􀀉􀀊􀀋􀀌), The Hunger Artists: Starving, Writing, and Imprisonment (􀀉􀀊􀀊􀀍) and Elizabeth Bowen: The Shadow Across the Page (winner of the 􀀎􀀏􀀏􀀐 Crawshay Prize from the British Academy), and has edited a Longman Critical Reader in Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism (􀀉􀀊􀀊􀀐). THE NETS OF MODERNISM Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Sigmund Freud MAUD E LL MANN 􀀑􀀃􀀂􀀒􀀓􀀔􀀅􀀕􀀆 􀀄􀀈􀀔􀀖􀀆􀀓􀀗􀀔􀀘􀀙 􀀚􀀓􀀆􀀗􀀗 Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge 􀀑􀀒􀀎 􀀋􀀓􀀄, 􀀄􀀜 Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York [www.cambridge.org](www.cambridge.org) [Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/](Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/)􀀊􀀌􀀋􀀏􀀝􀀎􀀉􀀞􀀋􀀉􀀏􀀊􀀐© Maud Ellmann 􀀎􀀏􀀉􀀏 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 􀀎􀀏􀀉􀀏 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue recordfor this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Ellmann, Maud, 􀀉􀀊􀀝􀀐– The nets of modernism : Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Sigmund Freud / Maud Ellmann. [p. cm](p. cm). Includes bibliographical references and index.􀀔􀀗􀀒􀀈 􀀊􀀌􀀋-􀀏-􀀝􀀎􀀉-􀀋􀀞􀀎􀀝􀀞-􀀉 – 􀀔􀀗􀀒􀀈 􀀊􀀌􀀋-􀀏-􀀝􀀎􀀉-􀀞􀀋􀀉􀀏􀀊-􀀐 (pbk.) 􀀉 . English ﬁction–􀀎􀀏th century–History and criticism. 􀀎 . Modernism (Literature)–Great Britain. 􀀍 . Psychoanalysis and literature. 􀀐 . Joyce, James, 􀀉􀀋􀀋􀀎–􀀉􀀊􀀐􀀉–Criticism and interpretation. 􀀝 . Woolf, Virginia, 􀀉􀀋􀀋􀀎–􀀉􀀊􀀐􀀉–Criticism and interpretation. 􀀞 . James, Henry, 􀀉􀀋􀀐􀀍–􀀉􀀊􀀉􀀞–Criticism and interpretation. 􀀌. Freud, Sigmund, 􀀉􀀋􀀝􀀞–􀀉􀀊􀀍􀀊–Inﬂuence.􀀋 . American ﬁction–􀀎􀀏th century–History and criticism. 􀀊 . Psychological ﬁction–History and criticism. 􀀉􀀏 . Modernism (Literature) I. Title. 􀀚􀀓􀀋􀀋􀀋.􀀂􀀞􀀍􀀆􀀐􀀝 􀀎􀀏􀀉􀀏􀀋􀀎􀀍 ′.􀀊􀀉􀀏􀀊􀀉􀀉􀀎–dc􀀎􀀎􀀎􀀏􀀉􀀏􀀏􀀎􀀉􀀋􀀊􀀝 􀀔􀀗􀀒􀀈 􀀊􀀌􀀋-􀀏-􀀝􀀎􀀉-􀀋􀀞􀀎􀀝􀀞-􀀉 Hardback 􀀔􀀗􀀒􀀈 􀀊􀀌􀀋-􀀏-􀀝􀀎􀀉-􀀞􀀋􀀉􀀏􀀊-􀀐 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. To John Wilkinson Contents Acknowledgements List of abbreviations 􀀉 Introduction: what hole? 􀀎 The modernist rat 􀀍 Strandentwining cables: Henry James’s The Ambassadors 􀀐 The Woolf woman page viii x 􀀉 􀀉􀀐 􀀍􀀝 􀀞􀀎 􀀝 The darkened blind: Joyce, Gide, Larsen, and the modernist short story 􀀞 The name and the scar: identity in The Odyssey and A Por

FAQs

What core themes does The Nets of Modernism examine across modernist works?

It examines how images of bodily violation and exchange correspond to psychological and cultural obsessions, including “vampirism,” linking these motifs to Freudian psychoanalysis and modernist fiction structures.

Which authors are central to the book’s analyses?

The book focuses on close readings of Henry James, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf.

How does the book connect modern technology to modernist literature?

It links the development of technological networks in modernity to the formal structures of modernist fiction, framing this connection through Freudian psychoanalytic thought.

Sep 21, 2026

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