SOURCE: "Moralizings on Morand," in The Dial, Chicago, Vol. LXXVI, February, 1924, pp. 184-87.

Murry is recognized as one of the most significant English critics and editors of the twentieth century. Anticipating later scholarly opinion, he championed—through his positions as founding editor of the Adelphi, and as a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, among other periodicals—the writings of Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Paul Valéry, D. H. Lawrence, and Thomas Hardy. As with his magazine essays, Murry's book-length critical works are noted for their impassioned tone and startling discoveries; such bio graphic ally centered critical studies as Keats and Shakespeare: A Study of Keats' Poetic Life from 1816-1820 (1925) and Son of Woman: The Story of D. H. Lawrence (1931) contain esoteric, controversial conclusions that have angered scholars who favor more traditional approaches. Notwithstanding this criticism, Murry is often cited for his perspicuity, clarity, and supportive argumentation...