Charlotte Bronte (as Currer Bell) to her publisher, W. S. Williams, 26 April 1848:
'I have now read "Rose, Blanche, and Violet," and I will tell you, as well as I can, what I think
of it.
'Whether it is an improvement on "Ranthorpe' [G. H. Lewes's previous novel] I do not know,
for I liked "Ranthorpe" much, but any any rate it contains more of a good thing; I find in it the
same powers but more fully developed.
The author's character is seen on every page, which makes the book interesting, far more
interesting than any story could do; indeed the story appears to me slight; the dialogues are
animated and good, but it is what the writer himself says that attracts far more than what he
puts into the mouths of his characters [...] The didactic passages seem to me the best — far
the best — in the work — very acute, very profound are some of the views there given, and
very clearly they are offered to the reader [comments further]
[...]
His emotional scenes are somewhat too uniformly vehement [...] Now and then, Mr Lewes
takes a French pen into his hand, wherein he differs from Mr Thackeray, who always uses an
English quill. However, the French pen does not far mislead Mr Lewes; he guides it with British
muscles [...]
He gives no charming picture of London Literary Society, and especially the female part of it:
but all coteries [...] must, it seems to me, have a tendency to change truth into affectation.
When people belong to a clique, they must, I suppose, in some measure, write, talk, think,
and live for that clique; a harassing and narrowing necessity.
'I trust the Press and Public show themselves disposed to give the book the reception it
merits, and that is a very cordial one.'
Unknown
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Brontë
