Page:The Mystery of the Sea.djvu/541



The Academy.—'We have read this book with amazement and delight: with amazement at its supreme delicacy; with delight that its author retains an unswerving allegiance to literary conscience that forbids him to leave a slipshod phrase, or a single word out of its appointed place. There are many writers who can write dialogue that is amusing, convincing, real. But there is none who can reach Mr. James's extraordinary skill in tracing dialogue from the first vague impulse in the mind to the definite spoken word.'

The Times.—'Mr. James's stories are a continued protest against superficial workmanship and slovenly style. He is an enthusiast who has devoted himself to keeping alive the sacred fire of genuine literature; and he has his reward in a circle of constant admirers.'

The Daily News.—'Mr. Henry James is the Meissonier of literary art. In his new volume, we find all the exquisiteness, the precision of touch, that are his characteristic qualities. It is a curiously fascinating volume.'

The National Observer.—'The delicate art of Mr. Henry James has rarely been seen to more advantage than in these stories.'

The St. James's Gazette.—'All four stories are delightful for admirable workmanship, for nicety and precision of presentation, and "The Way it Came " is beyond question a masterpiece.'

The Times.—'All the stories are told by a man whose heart and soul are in his profession of literature.'

The Athenæum.—'The appearance of Terminations will in no way shake the general belief in Mr. Henry James's accomplished touch and command of material. On the contrary, it confirms conclusions long since foregone, and will increase the respect of his readers With such passages of trenchant wit and sparkling observation, surely in his best manner, Mr. James ought to be as satisfied as his readers cannot fail to be.'

The Speaker.— 'In style, skill in construction, and general "go," it is worth a dozen ordinary novels.'

Black and White.—'The novel, like all Mr. Norris's work, is an excessively clever piece of work, and the author never for a moment allows his grasp of his plot and his characters to slacken.'

The Westminster Gazette.—'Mr. Norris writes throughout with much liveliness and force, saying now and then something that is worth remembering. And he sketches his minor characters with a firm touch.'