=The Daily News.=—‘Mr. James is a critic of life rather than a maker of stories; his appeal is more to the intellect than to the imagination. _Terminations_ is a collection of four stories written with that choiceness and conciseness of phrase that distinguishes the work of the literary artist.... _The Altar of the Dead_ is more mystic and imaginative. Mr. James finds phrases that express incomparably well the more spiritual longings of our nature, and this story is full of tender suggestiveness.’
=The Pall Mall Gazette.=—‘What strikes one, in fact, in every corner of Mr. James’s work is his inordinate cleverness. These four tales are so clever, that one can only raise one’s hands in admiration. The insight, the sympathy with character, the extraordinary observation, and the neat and dexterous phrasing—these qualities are everywhere visible.’
=The Scotsman.=—‘All the stories are peculiar and full of a rare interest.’
=The Manchester Guardian.=—‘... But with _The Altar of the Dead_ it is far otherwise. To attempt to criticise a creation so exquisite, so instinct with the finest and purest human feeling, so penetrated with the fastidious distinction of a sensitive spirit, would indeed be superfluous, if not impertinent. On its own lines, we know of no more beautiful, truer prose poem in the English language, and to have written it is to have formulated a claim to recollection which we do not think will be lightly set aside.’
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN, 21 BEDFORD STREET, W.C.
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=The National Observer.=—‘Clever characterisation, natural dialogue, moral sanity, and keen observation and knowledge of the world.... The minor characters are as diverse as they are numerous, and there is not a lay figure in the book.’
=The Daily News.=—‘_Herbert Vanlennert_ is good throughout. The analysis of the hero’s character is excellent. The story is crowded with minor characters, all clearly individualised and seen in nice relation to their surroundings. There is much power of observation, much knowledge of life and art displayed throughout.’
=The Pall Mall Gazette.=—‘A piece of life and a work of art.... Mr. Keary’s men and women are solid all through. He is as honest in his presentation of life as Mr. Gissing, but he is more pointed and wittier; he is less witty than Mr. Meredith, but he is more responsible.... Mr. Keary’s work stands out as a very brilliant piece of honest, knowledgable, wise artistry. We say it deliberately, that there are very few novels of our time that bear so unmistakably the grip of the master-hand as _Herbert Vanlennert_.’