'The retired Governor of Madras Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, to whom Mrs [Humphry] Ward read extracts from "Robert Elsmere "before it was published, was arrested by the novel's passages of "extraordinary power"...'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Mrs Humphry Ward
'At this precise moment I am feeling mightily morose, owing to my having foolishly embarked on Robert Elsmere and Tom Jones this afternoon.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: John Buchan Print: Book
'[letter to Mrs Ward from Mr Creighton] I have read "Miss Bretherton" with much interest. It was hardly fair on the book to know the plot beforehand, but I found myself carried away by the delicate feeling with which the development of character was traced. The Nuneham scene, the death-bed and the final reconciliation were really touching and powerfully worked out.
At the same time it is not a novel of my sort. I demand that I should have given me an entire slice of life, and that I should see the mutual interaction of a number of characters. Your interest centres entirely on one character: your characters all move in the same region of ideas, and that a narrow one.' [the critique continues at length; Creighton asks Mrs Ward] 'Have you read Sainte Beuve's solitary novel, "Volupte"? it is instructive reading.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Mr Creighton Print: Book
'After reading the first volume [of Mrs Ward's "Robert Elsmere"] he [William Arnold] wrote to Mrs Arnold, "You may look forward to finding yourself the mother of a famous woman!".'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: William Arnold Print: Book
'Matthew Arnold wrote from Wilton, the Pembrokes' house, a week before his death (which occurred on April 15), that he found all the guests there reading or intending to read it [Mrs Ward's Robert Elsmere], and added, "George Russell, who was staying at Ashton Clinton with Gladstone, says it is all true about his interest in the book. He talked of it incessantly and said he thought he should review it for Knowles".
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: guests at Wilton Print: Book
'The book ["Robert Elsmere"] had moved him [Gladstone] prfoundly and he felt impelled to combat the all too dangerous conclusions to which it pointed. "Mamma and I", he wrote to his daughter in March, "are each of us still separately engaged in a death grapple with "Robert Elsmere". I complained of some of the novels you gave me to read as too stiff, but they are nothing to this. It is wholly out of the common order. At present I regard with doubt and dread the idea of doing anything on it, but cannot yet be sure whether your observations will be verified or not. In any case it is a tremendous book". And to Lord Acton he wrote: "It is not far from twice the length of an ordinary novel; and the labour and effort of reading it all, I should say, sixfold; while one could no more stop in it than in reading Thucydides".'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: William Gladstone Print: Book
'The book ["Robert Elsmere"] had moved him [Gladstone] prfoundly and he felt impelled to combat the all too dangerous conclusions to which it pointed. "Mamma and I", he wrote to his daughter in March, "are each of us still separately engaged in a death grapple with "Robert Elsmere". I complained of some of the novels you gave me to read as too stiff, but they are nothing to this. It is wholly out of the common order. At present I regard with doubt and dread the idea of doing anything on it, but cannot yet be sure whether your observations will be verified or not. In any case it is a tremendous book". And to Lord Acton he wrote: "It is not far from twice the length of an ordinary novel; and the labour and effort of reading it all, I should say, sixfold; while one could no more stop in it than in reading Thucydides".'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Catherine Gladstone Print: Book
'[letter from T.H. Huxley to Mrs Ward] You will think I have taken my time about thanking you for "David Grieve"; but a virtuous resolution to stick to a piece of work I have had on hand for a long time intefered with my finishing it before last night. The temptation was severe, and as I do not often stick to virtuous resolutions under these circumstances, I parade the fact.
I think the account of the Parisian episode of David's life the strongest thing you have done yet. it is alive -every word of it - and without note or comment produces its ethical effect after the manner of that "gifted authoress", Dame Nature, who never moralizes'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Henry Huxley Print: Book
'[letter to Mrs Ward from Edward Burne-Jones] The book has just come - and to my pride and delight with such a pretty autograph: so that to-day I am mightily set up. I cannot tell you how comforting the words read to me - and how sunny they have made this grey day'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Edward Burne Jones Print: Book
'[letter from Henry James to Mrs Ward] I think the tale very straightforward and powerful - very direct and vivid, full of the real and the [italics] juste [end italics]. I like your unelambicated rustics - they are a tremendous rest after Hardy's - and the infallibility of your feeling for village life. Likewise I heartily hope you will labour in this field and farm again. [italics] But [end italics] I won't pretend to agree with one or two declarations that have been wafted to me to the effect that this little tale is the best thing you've done". It has even been murmured to me that [italics] you [end italics] think so. This I don't believe, and at any rate I find, for myself, your best in your deallings with [italics] data [end italics] less simple, on a plan less simple.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Henry James Print: Book
'[letter from Mr Morley to Mrs Ward] It was most pleasant to me to receive the little volume ["Bessie Costrell"] in its pretty dress, and with the friendly dedication. It will take its place among my personal treasures, and I am truly grateful to you for thinking of me.
The story is full of interest to me, and in the vein of a true realism, humanising instead of brutalising. The "severity" of the poor dead woman's look, and the whole of that page, redeems with a note of just pity all the sordid elements'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Mr Morley Print: Book
'[letter from Beatrice Webb to Mrs Ward about her novel "Sir George Tressady"] the story is very touching and you have an indescribable power of making your readers sympathise with all your characters, even with Letty and her unlovely mother-in-law. Of course, as a strict utilitarian, I am inclined to estimate the book more in its character of treatise than as a novel. From this point of view it is the most useful piece of work that has been done for many a long day. You have managed to give the arguments for and against factory legslation with admirable lucidity and picturesqueness - in a way that will make them comprehensible to the ordinary person without any technical knowledge'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Beatrice Webb Print: Book
'[Letter from Rudyard Kipling to Mrs Ward] I am delighted to have "Sir George Tressady" from your hand. I have followed him from month to month with the liveliest wonder as to how the inevitable smash in his affairs was to fall, and now that I have read the tale as a whole I see that of course there was but one way. Like all human books it has the unpleasant power of making you think and bother as one only bothers over real folk: but how splendidly you have done the lighter relief-work!'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Rudyard Kipling Print: Book
'[letter from M. Jusserand to Mrs Ward] 'I spent yesternight a most charming evening reading your essay [on the Brontes]. Shall I confess that I feel with Kingsley, having had a similar experience. I could never go beyond the terrible beginning of "Shirley" - and yet I tried and did my best, and the book remains unread, and I the more sorry as my copy does not belong to me, but to Lady Jersey, who charged me to return it when I had finished reading. I really tried earnestly: I took the volume with me on several occasions; it has seen, I am sure, as many lands as wise Ulysses, having crossed the Mediterranean more than once and visited Assuan. But there it is, and I see from my writing-table its threatening green cloth and awful back, with plenty of repulsive persons within. And yet I [italics] can [end italics] read. I have read with delight and unflagging interest Vol. I in-folio of the Rolls of Parliament, without missing a line. "Shirley", I cannot'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: M. Jusserand Print: Book
'[letter from Lord Bryce to Mrs Ward] Thank you for your admirable article and for the copy of the Memorial, an effective repy to that of the Suffragist ladies'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Lord Bryce Print: Serial / periodical
'[letter from Mrs Ward to Reginald Smith] I heard such pleasing things about "David [Grieve]" from Lord Arran in Dublin the other day. He knows it absolutely by heart, and he says that when he was campaigning in South Africa two battered copies of "David" were read to pieces by him and his brother-officers, and every night they discussed it round the camp fires'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Lord Arran Print: Book
'[letter from Mrs Ward to Reginald Smith] I heard such pleasing things about "David [Grieve]" from Lord Arran in Dublin the other day. He knows it absolutely by heart, and he says that when he was campaigning in South Africa two battered copies of "David" were read to pieces by him and his brother-officers, and every night they discussed it round the camp fires'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: army officers Print: Book
'[letter from Frederic Harrison to Mrs Ward] I am one of those to whom your book ["The Case of Richard Meynell"] specially appeals, as I know so much of the literature, the persons, the questions it dealt with. It has given me the most lively interest both as romance - as fine as anything since "Adam Bede" - and also as controversy - as important as anything since "Essays and Reviews". Meynell seems to me a far higher type than Elsmere, both as a man and as a book, and I am sure will have a greater permanent value'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Frederic Harrison Print: Book
'[Having asked Lord Rosebery for a Preface to her "England's Effort"] Knowing that he was never strong, she fully expected a refusal, but found instead that he had already done what she asked, being deeply moved by the proofs that she had sent him'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Print: proofs
'[letter from General Hastings Anderson to Janet Trevelyan] What strikes me most in your mother's book ["Fields of Victory"] is her marvellous insight into the way of thinking of the soldiers - I mean those who knew most of what was really happening - who were actually engaged in the great struggle. One would say the book was written by one who had played a prominent part in the War in France, and with knowledge of the thoughts of the high directing staffs'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Hastings Anderson Print: Book
'I had a most successful afternoon with Mrs [Humphrey] Ward yesterday. Their villa is a vision of beauty, looking over the Alban Lake on one side and the Campagna on the other. It's a Barberini Villa with an exquisite big garden in which are the ruins of a Villa of Domitian's. There are long ilex avenues and the grass was full of violets and cyclamen and anemones. The rooms of course very bare, but they have carpeted them and put in stoves and they are most fascinating. Mrs Ward was extremely kind. I arrived about 4 and stayed till 8 — it's only an hour from Rome [Roma]. She and I walked about on the Terraces till tea, after which she took me into her sitting room and showed me her preface to "Jane Eyre", very good I thought — so did she! "Now this is so true" she said, pointing to a passage in an impersonal way! Never mind, she was a great dear.'
Unknown
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell
'Extremely hot even at Therapia. Back at 7 and dined at home and read the "Marriage of William Ashe".'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell Print: Book
'I am longing to hear what you think of "D.[David]G.[Grieve]" I read the first volume this morning — oh! how dull it is, how dull! how full of unnecessary detail, how flatlessly and pointlessly written! I like some of the childhood scenes, though I thought them nearly all in a measure spoilt by too great length and by that absolute want of humour which is characteristic of her. And why all that foolish ghost episode that leads to nothing, and why all those useless illnesses and deaths, and why all those long stories of the birth and parentage of each character? Then the Manchester part is awfully feeble and uninteresting — no I cannot think it will catch on even with the B.P. And all written with such effort and such painstaking — that's the pity of it. I'm bound to say however that I think the English is very slipshod.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell Print: Book
(1) 'I am at present reading a book whose scene is set in Oxford and which tells one a good
deal about the University (not Tom Brown), "Lady Connie" by Mrs. Humphrey Ward. She is a
favourite of yours, is she not? I have never read her until now, and she seems to have many
points. She is rather a pedant tho', and insists too much on her "culture", and tells us a great
deal about tanagra Statues, Titanesque effects, discoveries in Crete, Euripides, Goethe, etc.,
etc. You know what I mean.' (2) 'I have finished "Lady Connie" and though it does not end as
well as it begins, it was good enough to make me determine to read some more of hers next
holidays.' (3) 'The hero of "Lady Connie" was certainly a detestable fellow, though I must
admit that in places I found something rather attractive about him.... But on the whole, as you
say, the book is unsatisfactory, and she ought to have married the Pole What's his name.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis Print: Book