Novel 162: Edward Eggleston, The Faith Doctor (1891)
A fashionable young banker falls in love with an earnestly Christian woman.
Edward Eggleston (1837-1902) was a Methodist minister, a magazine editor, and a historian as well as a novelist; he wrote a dozen or so works of fiction in various genres. This one, in its vivid portrayal of 1880s New York, its nuanced delineation of complex characters, its careful, plausible plot, its apt and witty style, is a sadly forgotten masterpiece.
“As a study of American life . . . The Faith Doctor is a strikingly clever book. . . . One breathes the very air of New York while following the rapid movements of the story; and the impression which it leaves upon the mind is that of having talked with all manner of interesting people, on topics that will keep one thinking.” Academy, January 9, 1892
“This is a really admirable novel. . . . There are excellent social sketches, and more than one character drawn with a delicate skill which would do credit to any writer of fiction. . . . The writing throughout is of very good quality. The Faith-Doctor isworth reading for its style, its wit, and its humour, and not less . . . for its pathos.” Spectator, March 19, 1892
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