The making of a terrorist: A Henry James novel that resonates with us today

Anyone who's been to a political meeting, particularly on a college campus, particularly in the 60s or 70s, will recognize all the types in the gathering of working-class radicals in the back room of the Sun and Moon pub in of all places Henry James's "The Princess Casamassima" (you would not expect this kind of gathering in a James novel, especially with this title!): the spewing of ideology, the posing and posturing, the grandiose ideas, the idealism, the grumbling and despair, the complete incapacity for coming to any kind of consensus or conclusion - all very realistic and evocative. This scene closes out part 2, about half-way through the novel, as our hero, Hyacinth, stands rises to speak to the group to refute one who said that none was brave enough to risk his life, his "bones," in their quest to smash the ruling classes - Hyacinth says he would risk anything, and at that moment his mentor, Paul, accepts him as one of the group. H. steps outside of the meeting - a great description of a dreary London street at night - and Paul and others follow and they get a hansom and take H. off to meet the German radical who is visiting secretively in East London - as H. sets off on the next stage of his evolution from naif to - what? terrorist, presumably. More than almost any other James novel, this one has strange resonance with readers today.