▁psych ological ▁novel ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁order , ▁and ▁an ▁advent ure ▁tale ▁that ▁is ▁unique ▁and ▁inspir iting ." ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁however , ▁Der le th ' s ▁work ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁his ▁one - time ▁adm ir er ▁and ▁ment or , ▁S inc la ir ▁Lewis . ▁Writing ▁in ▁Es quire , ▁Lewis ▁observed , ▁" It ▁is ▁a ▁proof ▁of ▁Mr . ▁Der le th ' s ▁mer it ▁that ▁he ▁makes ▁one ▁want ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁journey ▁and ▁see ▁his ▁particular ▁A val on : ▁The ▁Wisconsin ▁River ▁sh ining ▁among ▁its ▁islands , ▁and ▁the ▁cast les ▁of ▁Baron ▁Pier ne au ▁and ▁Her cules ▁D ous man . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁champion ▁and ▁a ▁just ification ▁of ▁regional ism . ▁ ▁Yet ▁he ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁bur ly , ▁bound ing , ▁b ust ling , ▁self - conf ident , ▁opinion ated , ▁and ▁highly - s we ater ed ▁young ▁man ▁with ▁fault s ▁so ▁gr iev ous ▁that ▁a ▁mel anch oly ▁per us al ▁of ▁them ▁may ▁be ▁of ▁more ▁value ▁to ▁app rent ices ▁than ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁his ▁serious ▁virt ues . ▁ ▁If ▁he ▁could ▁ever ▁be ▁persu aded ▁that ▁he ▁isn ' t ▁half ▁as ▁good ▁as ▁he ▁thinks ▁he ▁is , ▁if ▁he ▁would ▁learn ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁sitting ▁still ▁and ▁using ▁a ▁blue ▁p enc il , ▁he ▁might ▁become ▁twice ▁as ▁good ▁as ▁he ▁thinks ▁he ▁is