Bernard Shaw's Book Reviews: Originally Published in the Pall Mallgazette from

Between 1885 and 1888, Bernard Shaw published 111 book reviews in "The Pall Mall Gazette". In spite of their importance as the first regular journalism Shaw wrote and the fact that these books (fiction, non-fiction, plays and poetry) may have formed the nucleus of his permanent library, the reviews have not been analyzed in connection with Shaw's work. This study assembles the book reviews - complete with the books' titles, authors, a brief biography of each author and any comments Shaw made about the review - and places them in an historical context, elucidating any interesting, difficult or obscure references. Tyson's critical introduction places the reviews in the context of Shaw's work and Victorian society. The reviews are often characterized by the wit and brilliance that we associate with the later Shaw, shedding light on his development as a writer at his most formative stage.