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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: partially insane; some, mostly religious, partially inhuman;
and very many tainted with morbidity and impotence. We do
not loathe a masterpiece although we gird against its
blemishes. We are not, above all, to look for faults, but
merits. There is no book perfect, even in design; but there
are many that will delight, improve, or encourage the reader.
On the one hand, the Hebrew psalms are the only religious
poetry on earth; yet they contain sallies that savour rankly
of the man of blood. On the other hand, Alfred de Musset had
a poisoned and a contorted nature; I am only quoting that
generous and frivolous giant, old Dumas, when I accuse him of
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