“There is a flavour of this conscious condescension in these essays, and it takes away from the charm which they possess in spite of it, charm both of phrase and anecdote. The ideas are not very subtle; nor have they any marked freshness; but to the main idea we heartily respond. Mr. Perry is not precise enough; he does not know that different things in life should be approached in a different spirit.”
| + — | Acad. 68: 332. Mr. 25, ‘05. 670w. |
“In spite of what we have just said, the quality of the best of the contemporary American essayists is rare; and outside Mr. Howells and Mr. Alden we know no one who possesses greater gifts of taste and style than Mr. Bliss Perry.”
| + + | Ath. 1905, 1: 558. My. 6. 720w. |
[*] “No one wants to hear the crack of a whip in these leisurely papers, but there might be a little more mental activity without any sign of the strain.” F. M. Colby.
| + — | Bookm. 20: 473. Ja. ‘05. 880w. |
“To apply to him words of his own, he is one of the ‘speculative, amused, undeluded children of this world.’ Sanity, balance, kindliness, unite with insight and imagination to give his pages their peculiar charm.”
| + + | Dial. 38: 93. F. 1, ‘05. 310w. |
“The curious thing about Mr. Perry’s plea for The amateur spirit is that it should seem to slight so glaringly the virtue of the mean.”
| + | Ind. 58: 383. F. 16, ‘05. 200w. |