ABSTRACT
But, gloomy as this book is, the very grimness of its hostility to common illusions is a refreshment to the jaded reader of the average novel. There is power in every line. The growth of Amy Reardon from romantic belief in struggling genius to the mature worldliness of a comfortable drawing-room is a notable feat in the development of character. But will Mr Mudie's subscribers relish the process? If so, English novelists may venture to draw from life.
