Auchincloss, Louis

Auchincloss, Louis (ô`kĭnklŏs), 1917–, American novelist and man of letters, b. New York City. For many years, he was a practicing lawyer in his native city. His business experience and social background are reflected in his polished novels of manners, which mainly relate the concerns of well-to-do and well-connected white Protestants. His novels include Venus in Sparta (1958), The Rector of Justin (1965), The Partners (1974), The Dark Lady (1977), Watchfires (1982), and East End Story (2004). He has also written Reflections of a Jacobite (1961), on Henry James; Edith Wharton: A Biography (1971); Richelieu (1972); and Woodrow Wilson (2000). A prolific writer, Auchincloss published False Gods, Fellow Passengers, and Love without Wings in 1991 alone. He is also known for his short stories; The Collected Stories of Louis Auchincloss was published in 1994.

Bibliography

See his autobiography, A Writer's Capital (1974); biography by C. W. Gelderman (1993); studies by C. C. Dahl (1986), D. B. Parsell (1988), and V. Piket (1991).

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Auchincloss, Louis (Stanton) (1917–  ) lawyer, writer; born in Lawrence, N.Y. From New York's upper class, he moved easily through Groton, Yale, and law school. After World War II service with the U.S. Navy, he took up a career as a Wall Street lawyer, a profession he continued to pursue while also gaining a reputation as a writer in the tradition of Henry James. His many civilized and well-crafted novels and short stories are psychological and moral dramas played out among New York's old-money elite.