The Aspern Papers Author:Henry James This is a title in an inexpensive range of classics in the "Penguin Popular Classics" series. — An unnamed American editor rents a room in Venice in the home of Juliana Bordereau, the elderly mistress of Jeffrey Aspern, a deceased poet, in order to procure from her the poet's papers. Juliana, a stingy, domineering woman, lives with ... more »her timid, middle-aged niece, Tina. The editor, obsessed with obtaining the Aspern papers, exhibits progressively unscrupulous behavior, such as assuming an alias, making false romantic overtures to Tina, and attempting burglary.« less