---
title: "The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certa… — Henry James Quote #3 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to… — a quote by Henry James."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to a really grasping imagination... To write well and worthily of American things one need even more than elsewhere to be a master.

[Henry James](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James)\#3

[Writing](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/writing/)[Literature](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/literature/)[Culture](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/culture/)[America](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/america/)[Imagination](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/imagination/)[National identity](https://quotesby.net/topics/national-identity/)[Nature](https://quotesby.net/topics/nature/)

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## About this quote

What does it mean?Nature and society offer rich material for writing, but capturing it well requires deep imaginative insight and mastery.In plain termsWriting well about America needs a powerful imagination and skill.What can you take from it?Master your craft to reveal hidden truths in your environment.

### Where it applies

- writing novels
- cultural criticism
- travel writing

### Putting it to work

- study local culture deeply
- develop vivid imagery
- practice descriptive writing

### Questions to consider

- What secrets does your local environment hide?
- How does imagination shape perception?

### Another view

Not every writer has the innate imagination required to unlock these secrets.

## More from Henry James

1. > Everything about Florence seems to be coloured with a mild violet, like diluted wine.

[Permalink to quote \#2](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/2/ "Permalink to quote 2")
2. > It's a complex fate, being an American, and one of the responsibilities it entails is fighting against a superstitious valuation of Europe.

[Permalink to quote \#4](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/4/ "Permalink to quote 4")
3. > In the long run an opinion often borrows credit from the forbearance of its patrons.

[Permalink to quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Henry-James/1/ "Permalink to quote 1")

## Related quotes

1. > It always amuses me that the biggest praise for my work comes for the imagination, while the truth is that there's not a single line in all my work that does n…

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://quotesby.net/Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez)[Gabriel Garcia Marquez quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez/1/ "Permalink to quote 1")
2. > The ideal American type is perfectly expressed by the Protestant, individualist, anti-conformist, and this is the type that is in the process of disappearing. …

[Orson Welles](https://quotesby.net/Orson-Welles)[Orson Welles quote \#5](https://quotesby.net/Orson-Welles/5/ "Permalink to quote 5")
3. > 'The task of an American writer is not to describe the misgivings of a woman taken in adultery as she looks out of a window at the rain but to describe four hu…

[John Cheever](https://quotesby.net/John-Cheever)[John Cheever quote \#5](https://quotesby.net/John-Cheever/5/ "Permalink to quote 5")

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