Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware or Illumination ****

I stand by my original review for this forgotten classic, although I shaved a half star from its rating. Rereading (and re-enjoying) it, I realized how many of my favorite books deal with character development rather than plot development. The plot of The Damnation of Theron Ware serves to lead us through his intellectual progress; it doesn't have any suspense or narrative interest beyond that.

Two shortcomings lead me to reduce my original rating.

• Theron has a reputation as a fine orator, and this skill is important to the story. However, the author does not include examples of his sermons despite a few obvious opportunities to quote them.
  
  
• The book carefully charts Theron's intellectual engagement with the progressive ideas that lead to his damnation or illumination. By comparison, his shifting attitude toward his wife is woefully underdeveloped and felt too abrupt.