Excerpt from Excursions in Victorian Bibliography Of what these novelists wrote, when they wrote it, and what it looked like when it first appeared. This know ledge 15 herein set out for the possible assistance of all and sundry. The relative value as literature or as story-telling of their many books makes more perilous judgment. I am no expert in comparative literature. I cannot even claim to have read all or nearly all the books that are, in the pages following, materially dissected. I have preferred therefore to make no pretence to serious literary criticism, but have contented myself with indicating at the begin ning Of each section the general character Of the work Of the writer in question, into what groups (if any) his novels fall, and have called attention here and there to certain little known or unknown stories that have pleased me and may, though hardly for that reason, please some Of my contemporaries. Where an author has little attraction for me, I have said so. Books Of all kinds are listed between these covers, and no single being will enjoy them all. But this is certain: that among them the inquirer, be his tastes what they may, will find read ing to soothe him and to stimulate; will come to seek in the solidity, whether downright, fantastic, or lurid, in the quiet charm, in the dexterous sincerity of good Vic torian fiction, a satisfaction Of Spirit produced by the novels Of no other period Of English literature. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.