The Romance of a Shop, Levy accepts, like Gerty, the commodification of fiction and sets an example to show that a commercially viable work and artistic merit need not be mutually exclusive. Contemporary reviews The Romance of a Shop was met with generally positive regard. The Spectator called it "decidedly a success" and commented that "the dialogue is bright and sometimes witty, and the reader's attention, hardened novel reader though he may be, is fully sustained." An October 26, 1888 review in British Weekly called it "touched by a true artist's hand" with "flashes of wit on every page" and claimed that "a more charming story we have not read for a long time." The Jewish Chronicle, to which Levy was a contributor, praised The Romance of a Shop as a "bright and animated novel" but voiced concerns regarding Phyllis' "tendency to rather vulgar slang." As Levy's first work of fiction, The Romance of a Shop was the first time many reviewers were introduced to Levy as an author. Many expressed their optimism for Levy's growth as a writer in the future. A November 24, 1888 review in The Graphic stated of Levy "Her novel gives not only promise for the future [of Levy's career], but much present interest and pleasure." However, others gave Romance itself only tempered praise, such as a November 10, 1888 review in The Academy beginning "It appears to us that with a little more experience Miss Amy Levy may write a very good novel," but that "some scraps and bits of character drawing here and there [...] carry the reader pleasantly through for the present, and give good promise to the future." In his 1890 obituary for Levy in The Woman's World, Oscar Wilde praised The Romance of a Shop as "a bright and clever story, full of sparkling touches." Notes Citations References External links British romance novels Novels set in London Fictional photographers 1888 British novels Literary realism