United States Magazine and Democratic Review 38 (September 1856), 172.

The author of "Typee" and "Omoo" requires none of "the tricks of the trade" to secure a favorable audience for a collection of tales upon which he seems to have lavished even more than his usual care. As criticism is exhausted, and too much eulogy does not suit our taste, we shall confine ourselves as briefly as possible to an enumeration of the dishes, adapted to various palates, and disagreeable to none, which the purchasers of this book will find set forth before them. The book takes its name from the first story of six, which are here re-collected from the magazines in which they originally appeared. They are called respectively "The Piazza," "Bartleby," "Benito Cereno," "The Lightning-rod Man"--a story which excited great attention when originally published in Putnam's Monthly--"The Encantadas; or, Enchanted Islands," and "The Bell Tower." All of them exhibit that peculiar richness of language, descriptive vitality, and splendidly sombre imagination which are the author's characteristics. Perhaps the admirers of Edgar Poe will see, or think they see, an imitation of his concentrated gloom in the wild, weird tale, called "Bartleby:" in the "Bell Tower," as well, there is a broad tinge of German mysticism, not free from some resemblance to Poe. As a companion for the sultry summer months, and a country residence, we can fancy no volume more agreeable: the tales are perfect in themselves, and would each form the feast of a long summer's noon.