From Library Journal
A self-avowed Jacobite ("Much of my lifetime's reading has been done over the shoulder of Henry James"), Auchincloss is our most notable contemporary novelist of manners. Yet most critics dismiss him as a minor imitator of the master. Dahl acknowledges Auchincloss's limitations, particularly his labored dialogue and patrician coolness and conservatism. But he admires his ever-deepening social, moral, and psychological insights into the moneyed folk who seek selfhood in the New York world of business and the professions. Dahl's studythe first full-length critiquefollows the series format, overburdened with detailed plot summaries. Nevertheless, it does authenticate Auchincloss as a genuine man of letters and a dedicated writer. Arthur Waldhorn, English Dept., City Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
