You must love the subject before you turn to this book with any zest.

It is a book for your true Borrovian, who is thankful for any information about the word-master, not for the casual reader, who might indeed be alienated from the subject by this copious memoir.

The result was somewhat discouraging.

There were not enough of true Borrovians in those years, and the book was not received too generously.

The two volumes have gone out of print and have not reached a second edition.