English Fiction and the Evolution of Language, 1850–1914

'… Abberley's study successfully explores his central thesis without overburdening the reader with jargon and over-arguing; instead, he allows the cornucopia of texts he explores to speak for themselves.' Michael R. Page, The Review of English Studies
'English Fiction and the Evolution of Language presents scientific philological and evolutionary thinking in a lucid and accessible way, persuasively demonstrating how actively writers of fiction engaged with these discourses and grappled with resolving their contradictions. … This is a rich close investigation of the relationship between fiction and language evolution forming a valuable and worthy addition to the scholarship of nineteenth-century literature and science.' Emily Alder, Journal of Victorian Culture
'… this is a work of admirably wide-ranging scholarship that should generate further interest in a fascinating subject and will certainly serve as a useful foundation for more specialized work in the future.' Nicholas Ruddick, Review 19 (www.nbol-19.org)
'Abberley's book is a slim one (four chapters and 175 pages of text), but it is unusually wide-ranging and comprehensive, citing an astonishing number of novels and stories, and drawing together material from both familiar and obscure sources. Abberley packs a great deal into every paragraph: his readings are rich and condensed, and on every page he demonstrates the value of the twenty-first-century critic's awareness of the language concerns of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. This is a book to be absorbed and used.' Donald S. Hair, Victorian Studies