George Paul Chalmers, Old Letters
A young man, heir to a fortune, offends his mother and flees his country with the connivance of his greedy uncle, leaving his secret wife behind.
I return to David Christie Murray (see 009). This, his second novel, was a great critical and popular success; its villains are particularly enjoyable.
“It is excellent alike as writing and as invention. The style is one of uncommon vivacity and intelligence. . . . About his work, too, there is a happy and attractive flavour of novelty. His characters and incidents are for the most part new and fresh.” Academy, November 5, 1881
“‘Joseph’s Coat’ is one of the best novels we have met with for a long time. It shows not only a rare power of understanding and drawing character, but the perhaps rarer power of constructing a plot of first-rate interest. . . . The character of young George is . . . a masterly study.” Athenaeum, November 19, 1881
It provides “a psychological inquiry into the nature of the class variously called knaves, scamps, or scoundrels. It is a study in the various shades of roguery. The author . . . evidently enjoys the work of delineation, of tracing ill-doing to its source, and detecting the scamp while he is still in favour with honest but less discerning people.” Saturday Review, June 10, 1882
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