Critical Evaluation
Critics have strongly disagreed on the worth of The Awkward Age. F.R. Leavis praised it highly, calling it "one of James' major achievements." Edmund Wilson, on the other hand, showed little patience with the "gibbering crew" surrounding Nanda with their vaguely corrupt schemes. More recent commentators have expressed similar differences.
Many critics, such as Edward Wagenknecht, have detected over-treatment in the almost-all-dialogue presentation, which often strings out scenes to great length and complexity. James rejected this criticism emphatically in the New York Edition preface.
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