Letters to Living Authors. By J. A. Steuart. (Sampson Low
and Co.)—Mr. Steuart has written a number of letters to authors of the day with considerable vivacity and frank criticism. This criticism is fairly good of its kind ; it misses its aim sometimes, sometimes hits with force. It never rises above a certain plane ; is dogmatic (not that we count this to be a blemish) ; wanders occa- sionally; and now and then, as we have said, fails. It embodies a great deal of popular criticism, and has—it can scarcely help having—the stamp of haste about it. Fairly even, as a whole, it errs a little in being one-sided, and a great deal in narrowness. We need only say that, while some of tho letters show distinct appreciation, and some show it but scantily, probably because the writer distrusts his powers of deep criticism, the position he assigns to some writers, and the comparisons he makes between others and their works, aro hasty and by no means sound.
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