"The Aspern Papers" is a novella by Henry James that centers around an unnamed narrator who is obsessed with the work of the famous poet Jeffrey Aspern. The narrator seeks out Aspern's former lover, Juliana Bordereau, who possesses Espern's unpublished letters and papers. Hoping to obtain these valuable documents, the narrator ingratiates himself with Juliana by renting a room in her decaying Venetian villa.
The novella culminates in a dramatic twist that forces the narrator to confront the consequences of his obsession. "The Aspern Papers" explores the intersections of art, memory, and love, highlighting the often painful isolation that can accompany a relentless pursuit of literary truth and the preservation of one’s private history.