1891 · London
by Oliphant, Mrs. [Margaret}
London: Macmillan and Co, 1891. Octavo. Frontispiece, xx, 420 pages. The author is now considered one of the finest women writers of the era. Though she was free from much of the conventions tolerated by many women writers, she wrote with intelligence about Europe and society that was detached from her societal connections. However, when she read Hardy's Jude the Obscure, she found it too gross and wrote a review attacking it. This brought her into disfavor at the time. In retrospect, her writing reflects marvelous insights into Florence often overlooked by the traditional tourist. Besides the 53 illustrations in most editions, this copy is extra-illustrated (truncated)