This book will interest Meredithians, but is unlikely to create a vogue for a writer who seems to hold small appeal today. This is the first volume on the subject to appear in some twenty years, but despite evidence of considerable research and long study it presents little new in its material or point of view. Sassoon combines, in fair proportions, biography, literary criticism, anecdote, and evaluation of Meredith's work and its place in the history of literature, and the man seen through work and life. Copious quotations and contemporary comment (often surprisingly enough without identification) are used, although there seem to be some glaring omissions, - e.g. Hammerton and Priestly, whose biography is generally conceded the best. The style is pleasant, though at times a bit Victorian, often discursive, and too personal to convey objectivity. The author is most successful in the evaluation of the poems, while the novels are superficially handled. Some background of Meredith and his work is essential to enjoyment of this biography.