 Priestley contended that Walpole had fulfilled his early potential , unlike Compton Mackenzie , Gilbert Cannan and other promising young novelists of his generation . This view was not universal among critics : Walpole sometimes divided opinion . Writing of Walpole 's Russian novels the contemporary critic and novelist Douglas Goldring commented , " Russia has been the grave of many reputations ; and our Napoleon of the drawing @-@ room novel has fared no better than other would @-@ be conquerors of that disconcerting land . " Goldring 's complaint was that Walpole 's Russian ( and English ) characters were clichéd stereotypes . The reviewer in Punch , by contrast , wrote , " I consulted a Russian , who is very much alive , and received the opinion that , if Mr. Walpole has not succeeded in drawing the real average Russian , he has given us a type whose faults and virtues sound the keynote of the situation as it is to @-@ day . " The Observer rated The Dark Forest as " one of the finest novels of our generation " . 
 Priestley contended that Walpole <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> fulfilled his early potential , unlike Compton Mackenzie , Gilbert Cannan and other promising young novelists of his generation . This view <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>not</mark></a>universal among critics : Walpole sometimes divided opinion . Writing of Walpole <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Russian novels the contemporary critic and novelist Douglas Goldring commented , " Russia <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>has</mark></a> been the grave of many reputations ; and our Napoleon of the drawing @-@ room novel <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>has</mark></a> fared no better than other would @-@ be conquerors of that disconcerting land . " Goldring <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>complaint was that Walpole <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>Russian ( and English ) characters <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> clichéd stereotypes . The reviewer in Punch , by contrast , wrote , " I consulted a Russian , <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='drop_aux' title='11'><mark>is</mark></a>very much alive , and received the opinion that , if Mr. Walpole <a href='been_done' title='12'><mark>has</mark></a> not succeeded in drawing the real average Russian , he <a href='been_done' title='13'><mark>has</mark></a> given us a type whose faults and virtues sound the keynote of the situation as it is to @-@ day . " The Observer rated The Dark Forest as " one of the finest novels of our generation " . 
Priestley contended that Walpole done fulfilled his early potential , unlike Compton Mackenzie , Gilbert Cannan and other promising young novelists of his generation . This view ain't universal among critics : Walpole sometimes divided opinion . Writing of Walpole  Russian novels the contemporary critic and novelist Douglas Goldring commented , " Russia have been the grave of many reputations ; and our Napoleon of da drawing @-@ room novel done fared no better than other would @-@ b conquerors of that disconcerting land . " Goldring  complaint was that Walpole  Russian ( and English ) characters was clichéd stereotypes . The reviewer in Punch , by contrast , wrote , " I consulted a Russian , very much alive , and received tdaopinion that , if Mr. Walpole done not succeeded in drawing the real average Russian , he done given us a type whose faults and virtues sound the keynote of thdahii as it is to @-@ day . " Thedaserver rated The Dark Forest as " one of the finest novels of our generation " .