 Critic F. O. Matthiessen called this "trilogy" James's major phase, and these novels have certainly received intense critical study.It was the second-written of the books, "The Wings of the Dove" (1902) that was the first published because it attracted no serialization.This novel tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her impact on the people around her.