Uncle Silas A Tale of Bartram-Haugh

"A story of great imaginative power, superior to either of the former works by the same author. The shadow on the first page on the story creeps slowly on until the terrible reality comes in sight, like some old Greek tragedy. A room, a picture, the entire house, becomes instinct with significance under the touch of Mr. Le Fanu. The incidents in 'Uncle Silas' are strong and strange, and no detail here could give an idea of this remarkable and powerful novel." -The Athenaeum "The best of Mr. Le Fanu's novels....Few persons who take 'Uncle Silas' up will rest until they have read every word." -The Globe "A highly-wrought romance, sustaining a very strong interest from the beginning to the end." -The Examiner "'Uncle Silas' is a powerful and exciting book. The vivid colors in which Uncle Silas is drawn - his 'sweet, gentle, insufferable voice' - the bloodless face of marble, with its long silver hair and wild opium-eating eyes - the elegant, artificial style his conversation, the white glare of the smile that makes you feel 'half insane,' are vivid elements in a picture not easy to forget. It takes a real hold on the imagination. We shall see 'Uncle Silas' for many a day." -The Spectator "Mr. Le Fanu has placed himself by his new novel in the very first rank of modern novelists. He is thoroughly original. In his three novels he pursues a plan hitherto untried. Each has its central figure, mysterious and appealing, around which minor characters are grouped. Within the mind of Uncle Silas lies the whole train of circumstances. As the acorn involves the oak, so the character of Uncle Silas implies the whole action of the narrative. Not that other characters are unimportant. There is a wealth of portraiture, and the very slightest sketch tells....The skill with which Mr. Le Fanu concentrates the attention on this man is perfectly unique. The special characteristic of 'Uncle Silas' as of the two former novels, is its intensity. Both character and incident are brought out with a strange vividness." -Press "There have been few characters more finely drawn than that of Uncle Silas....Wilkie Collins never manipulated incidents in his extraordinary stories with more care and consequent interest than does Mr. Le Fanu." -Morning Star "Vividly realized...masterpiece." -The Outlook "Undoubtedly the author of 'Uncle Silas' possessed in a high degree the power of playing upon the nerves of his readers with sinister suggestions of shadowy perils emanating from evil human influences or ghostly monstrosities - revenants, vampires, werewolves." -The Living Age "The climax of the sensational...beyond reason and comfortable daylight reading." -Atlantic Monthly