Page:The Spoils of Poynton (London, William Heinemann, 1897).djvu/308



The Times.—'He is a remarkably even writer. And this novel is almost as good a medium as any other for studying the delicacy and dexterity of his workmanship.'

The National Observer.—'Interesting and well written, as all Mr. Norris's stories are.'

The Morning Post.—'The fidelity of his portraiture is remarkable, and it has rarely appeared to so much advantage as in this brilliant novel.'

The Saturday Review.—'The Countess Radna, which its author not unjustly describes as "an unpretending tale," avoids, by the grace of its style and the pleasant accuracy of its characterisation, any suspicion of boredom.'

The Daily News.—'The Countess Radna contains many of the qualities that make a story by this writer welcome to the critic. It is caustic in style, the character drawing is clear, the talk natural; the pages are strewn with good things worth quoting.'

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

The Academy.—'As a whole, the book is decidedly well written, while it is undeniably interesting. It is bright and wholesome: the work in fact of a gentleman and a man who knows the world about which he writes.'

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 Gentlewoman.—'Mr. Norris is a practised hand at his craft. He can write bright dialogue and clear English, too.

The Literary World.—'His last novel, The Countess Radna, is an excellent sample of his style. The plot is simple enough. But the story holds the attention and insists upon being read; and it is scarcely possible to say anything more favourable of a work of fiction.'

The Scotsman.—'The story, in which there is more than a spice of modern life romance, is an excellent study of the problem of mixed marriage. The book is one of good healthy reading, and reveals a fine broad view of life and human nature.'

The Glasgow Herald.—'This is an unusually fresh and well-written story. The tone is thoroughly healthy; and Mr. Norris, without being in the least old-fashioned, manages to get along without the aid of pessimism, psychology, naturalism, or what is known as frank treatment of the relations between the sexes.'

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.'


 * WILLIAM HEINEMANN,, W.C.