"This is an excellent study. Here is a scholar who dearly loves literature for its own sake. He writes about the authors under scrutiny in a profoundly illuminating and endearing matter."--The Irish Times "... a densely written, scholarly account of the subject, bristling with argument and painstakingly researched... Some may not agree with a few of the premisses from which conclusions are reached... But learned professors are at their best when they're flying a kite or two: in this perceptive book many are flown with refreshing panache."--The Spectator
