▁and ▁Robert ▁Louis ▁Stevens on . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁describes ▁the ▁novel ▁foc using ▁on ▁two ▁them es : ▁story t elling ▁and ▁love . ▁ ▁Style ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁follows ▁the ▁rich ness ▁of ▁alleg ory ▁and ▁met ap hor ▁that ▁is ▁evident ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁Winter son ' s ▁other ▁works , ▁including ▁Or anges ▁Are ▁Not ▁the ▁Only ▁F ruit . ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁rev iewer ▁Benjamin ▁K unk el , ▁describes ▁novel ▁as ▁doing ▁this ▁too ▁much : ▁" met aph ors ▁have ▁altogether ▁sli pped ▁free ▁of ▁their ▁spons oring ▁facts ; ▁her ▁figur ative ▁language ▁has ▁turned ▁into ▁so ▁many ▁solemn ▁do od les . ▁The ▁novel ▁concentr ates ▁the ▁worst ▁qual ities ▁of ▁her ▁writing ." ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁both ▁expl or atory ▁met ap hor ▁and ▁stories ▁to l led ▁by ▁Silver ' s ▁ment or , ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁ke eper . ▁The ▁Guardian ▁rev iewer ▁Jo anna ▁ ▁Br is co e ▁describes ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁chap ters ▁as ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁Winter son ▁writing , ▁and ▁comp ares ▁the ▁novel ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁" self - cont ained ▁tales " ▁which ▁have ▁" the ▁flav our ▁of ▁The ▁Sh ipping ▁News ▁is ▁tang ling ▁with ▁The ▁Wol ves ▁of ▁Will ough by ▁Ch ase ▁via ▁Heart ▁of ▁Dark ness ". ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁▁ ▁The ▁Guardian ▁rev iewer ▁An ita ▁S eth ios it ively ▁review ed ▁the