Page:The Mystery of the Sea.djvu/536



Punch.—'The heroine of The Beth Book is one of Sarah Grand's most fascinating creations. With such realistic art is her life set forth that, for a while, the reader will probably be under the impression that he has before him the actual story of a wayward genius compiled from her genuine diary. The story is absorbing; the truth to nature in the characters, whether virtuous, ordinary, or vicious, every reader with some experience will recognise.'

The Globe.—'It is quite safe to prophesy that those who peruse The Beth Book will linger delightedly over one of the freshest and deepest studies of child character ever given to the world, and hereafter will rind it an ever-present factor in their literary recollections and impressions.'

The Athenæum.—'It is so full of interest, and the characters are so eccentrically humorous yet true, that one feels inclined to pardon all its faults, and give oneself up to unreserved enjoyment of it The twins Angelica and Diavolo, young barbarians, utterly devoid of all respect, conventionality, or decency, are among the most delightful and amusing children in fiction.'

The Daily Telegraph.—'Everybody ought to read it, for it is an inexhaustible source of refreshing and highly stimulating entertainment.'

Punch.—'The Twins themselves are a creation: the epithet "Heavenly" for these two mischievous little fiends is admirable.'

The Morning Post.—'It is remarkable as the outcome of an earnest mind seeking in good faith the solution of a difficult and ever present problem Ideala is original and somewhat daring The story is in many ways delightful and thought-suggesting.'

The Liverpool Mercury.—'The book is a wonderful one—an evangel for the fair sex, and at once an inspiration and a comforting companion, to which thoughtful womanhood will recur again and again.'

The Spectator.—'All these studies, male and female alike, are marked by humour, pathos, and fidelity to life.'

The Speaker.—'In Our Manifold Nature Sarah Grand is seen at her best. How good that is can only be known by those who read for themselves this admirable little volume.'

The Guardian.—'Our Manifold Nature is a clever book. Sarah Grand has the power of touching common things, which, if it fails to make them "rise to touch the spheres," renders them exceedingly interesting.'