The stories in this collection were written mostly between 1888 and 1897, a time when Henry Jamesrs"s writing was concerned with the art of fiction and the position of the artist in society. The motif and title story, ls"The Figure in the Carpetrs", is an inspired joke, a masterpiece of double-entendre that demands the readerrs"s undivided love and attention and continues to baffle its critics. Also included are ls"The Author of Beltraffiors", an absorbing story of family infighting, authorship and tragedy, and ls"The Private Lifers", a spirited tale that considers the contrast between the artist alone and at work. While many of these stories appear to be elaborate Jamesian games, all employ irony and humour to allegorize artistic creation.