A View of the Harbour was favourably reviewed on its publication in 1947. In The New York Times Orville Prescott described the novel as characteristically English in being "all wit and charm on the surface and unexpectedly penetrating underneath". Also in the New York Times, Donald Barr placed Taylor in the tradition of Jane Austen for her humour, and praised her talent for characterisation while finding "flaws of technique" including "laconic settings of scene". Nelson Algren also commented on her gift for characterisation, describing the novel as "deft and witty" while "almost plotless", and compared Taylor's technique to Henry James's. References 1947 British novels Novels by Elizabeth Taylor Alfred A. Knopf books Peter Davies books