Listings for Reader:
The Hon. William Lamb
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Lady Caroline Lamb : Ada Reis
William Lamb to John Murray, 20 December 1822: 'The incongruity of, and objections to, the story of "Ada Reis" can only be got over by power of writing, beauty of sentiment, striking and effective situation, &c. [...] Mr. [William] Gifford [Murray's reader], I dare say, will agree with me that since the time of Lucian all the representations of the infernal regions, which have been attempted by satirical writers, such as Fielding's "Journey from this World to the Next," have been feeble and flat. The sketch in "Ada Reis" is commonplace in its observations and altogether insufficient [...] I think, if it were thought that anything could be done with the novel, and that the faults of its design and structure can be got over, that I could put her [i.e Lady Caroline Lamb] in the way of writing up this part a little, and giving it something of strength, spirit, and novelty, and making it at once more moral and more interesting. I wish you would communicate these my hasty suggestions to Mr. Gifford, and he will see the propriety of pressing Lady Caroline to take a little more time to this part of the novel. She will be guided by his authority, and her fault at present is to be too hasty and too impatient of the trouble of correcting and recasting what is faulty.'
