Victorian Literature: Sixty Years of Books and Bookmen

A reflective literary survey that traces principal authors, genres, and reading habits across sixty years of the period's literature, combining biographical sketching with bibliographical notes. The writer emphasizes a non-doctrinal, descriptive approach, treats poets, novelists, historians, and critics in successive chapters, remarks on changing reputations and the reception of American writers, and admits limits when discussing contemporary figures. The essays assess notable works and minor reputations, chart shifting tastes, and offer observations on sociology, economics, and the habits of readers as they shaped and responded to the publishing landscape.