But this method gradually gave way to a subtler, more deliberate, more diffuse style of accumulation of minutely discriminated details whose total significance the reader can grasp only by constant attention and sensitive inference.
Although I know the meaning of the “give way to sb/sth”, I am failing the sense the meaning of it in the above sentence. Could someone please help me here?
His later novels play down scenes of abrupt and prominent action, and do not so much offer a succession of sharp shocks as slow piecemeal additions of perception.
Can I unpack the sentence in the following sentences?
a. His later novels play down scenes of abrupt and prominent action.
b. His later novels do not offer a succession of sharp shocks so much as slow piecemeal additions of perception.
In this case “gave way to …” means “was replaced by…”. The object of “gave way to” is “a subtler, more deliberate, more diffuse style of accumulation of minutely discriminated details”, which is one long noun phrase.
His later novels do not offer a succession of sharp shocks so much as slow piecemeal additions of perception.
Does the above sentence mean “His later novels do not offer but slow piecemeal additions of perception do.”?
Such a technique is suited to James’s essential subject, which is not human action itself but the states of mind [color=red]that produce and are produced by human action and interaction.
Does “which & itself” refer “a technique & which”?
I need a little bit explanation of the red part. What is the object of “produce” in “that produce”?
His later novels do not offer a succession of sharp shocks.
Rather, his later novels offer slow piecemeal additions of perception.
“which” refers to “James’s essential subject”.
“itself” refes to “human action”.
“that produce and are produced by human action and interaction” is a relative clause describing the states of mind. The grammatical subject of “produce” and “are produced” is “that”, which refers to “states of mind”.