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lady novelists." 65 It is probably true that “ the days when post card notices from Gladstone secured a record in sales are over; and, from whatever combination of causes, we hear no more of
famous reviews.” 66 But it has been seen that reviews may be famous without thereby being admirable - Saintsbury speaks
of Macaulay's criticism being " choked by its own parasitic plants ” — and that reviews may, like Macaulay 's, be admired
“ for their vivid eloquence, extensive learning, and splendour of illustration ,” without in the slightest degree conforming to the
canons of literary criticism . Literary criticism and the book review have thus far been considered as if the two termswere equivalent terms, yet Robert
Lynd points out that “ a review should be, from one point of view , a portrait of a book ," and that “ book -reviewing is some thing different from criticism .” 67 The “ something different” is best stated by R . B . Johnson who makes the distinction between
the review , — that introduces the reader to a book, offers com ment and analysis, and leaves him to form his own opinion of the merits of the work, - and the criticism that assumes some familiarity with the work on the part of the reader and thus
discusses and illumines a judgment already formed. The reviewer hazards prophecy and is only interesting as a sign of the times. The critical essay is a permanent contribution to literature. The review thus seems more congenial to the daily press , the critical
essay to the weekly, monthly , or quarterly ,68 and each type of
periodical is prone to believe that it is best adapted for presenting to the public the merits or demerits of literary works.69 65 J. A . O 'Shea , Leaves from the Life of a Special Correspondent, II, 173 . 66 R . B . Johnson , Famous Reviews, p . ix .
67 R . Lynd, “ Book -Reviewing,” British Review , April, 1915, 10: 92– 106 . 68 Famous Reviews, pp . vii - viii.
69 " The review that, with fairness and simple directness, handles 'books as news' is far more apt to convey a just idea of the author 's purposes and actual achievement than a review that is either a learned presentment of its writer's ideas on art or a clever essay at the expense of the book that is being slaughtered .” — New York Times, February 18, 1917.
“ There are probably a hundred newspapers in the United States which pay more or less attention to books, and a few of them include surprisingly
good book reviews.” — E . L . Pearson , Book-Reviews, p . 33. It is probably true to say that these book notices serve as a sieve, - sifting out those that are worthless , so that only those works that are fairly good reach the monthlies and the quarterlies.
