James on Howells (1867)
►In a letter to a friend: “He has little intellectual curiosity; so here he stands with his admirable organ of style, like a poor man holding a diamond and wondering how he can use it.”
►
►At this point, James had not published even one novel. He had published reviews and a story. 
James later regretted his harsh, hasty judgment, which Howells learned about years later.