--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mr. Melville is evidently trying to…" description: "\"“Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibilty and our patie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/john-l-o-sullivan-88377_bad-reviews_mr-melville-is-evidently-trying-to-ascer_390063.jpg" --- # Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the… ![“Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibilty and our patience. Having written one or two passable extravagancies, he has considered himself privileged to produce as many more as he pleases, increasingly…” quote by John L. O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/john-l-o-sullivan-88377_bad-reviews_mr-melville-is-evidently-trying-to-ascer_390063.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/john-l-o-sullivan-88377_bad-reviews_mr-melville-is-evidently-trying-to-ascer_390063.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/john-l-o-sullivan-88377_bad-reviews_mr-melville-is-evidently-trying-to-ascer_390063.jpg) > ““Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibilty and our patience. Having written one or two passable extravagancies, he has considered himself privileged to produce as many more as he pleases, increasingly exaggerated and increasingly dull…. In bombast, in caricature, in rhetorical artifice — generally as clumsy as it is ineffectual — and in low attempts at humor, each one of his volumes has been an advance among its predecessors…. Mr. Melville never writes naturally. His sentiment is forced, his wit is forced, and his enthusiasm is forced. And in his attempts to display to the utmost extent his powers of “fine writing,” he has succeeded, we think, beyond his most sanguine expectations… We have no intention of quoting any passages just now from Moby-Dick. The London journals, we understand, “have bestowed upon the work many flattering notices,” and we should be loth to combat such high authority. But if there are any of our readers who wish to find examples of bad rhetoric, involved syntax, stilted sentiment and incoherent English, we will take the liberty of recommending to them this precious volume of Mr. Melville’s.”” John L. O'Sullivan ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The reviewer criticizes Melville's style as overly bombastic, forced, and lacking naturalness, suggesting his work is more a display of rhetorical excess than genuine artistry. **In simple terms:** Melville's writing is seen as pretentious and ineffective. Key Takeaway Recognize when style outweighs substance. Themes literary criticism style rhetoric authorial intent overinterpretation Mood skeptical analytical critical Type evaluative critical When to use this quote - academic review - literary analysis - teaching writing - editing - publishing Key Concepts pretentiousness forced expression syntactic excess critical bias Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of Melville's prose might still resonate despite its perceived flaws? - How does excessive rhetorical flourish affect reader engagement? A Different Perspective The critique may reflect personal taste and could overlook the novel's deeper thematic richness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-reviews/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [To me, I read good reviews in lots of papers and bad reviews in lots of papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-nevins/to-me-i-read-good-reviews-in-lots-of-papers-and-bad-reviews-in-lots/) [Sheila Nevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-nevins/) > [When you are one of the best coaches in the world, it is normal to attract bad reviews if you lose a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ander-herrera/when-you-are-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-it-is-normal-to/) [Ander Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ander-herrera/) > [“He writes the worst English that I have ever encountered. 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