AustLit

Wilkes attempts to explain why Geoffry Hamlyn continues to attract readers despite limited critical attention. In comparison with Kingsley's other novels and travel writing, the overt romanticism of Geoffry Hamlyn is unique, suggesting that Kingsley had a distinct artistic intention. Geoffry Hamlyn's narrative point of view must be considered in any interpretation of the novel because it partly explains the peripheral place of other classes in the novel. Wilkes argues that the mythical quality produced by this narrative stance and the romantic atmosphere evoked by the landscape are the elements that many readers continue to find attractive despite condemnation by nationalists.