It drew biting criticism from contemporaries.

Her unswerving loyalty to those she loved, and biting criticism of the many she did not, were shades of my father - perhaps the only trait they had in common.

He proceeds to offer a biting criticism of her husband who supplanted him in her affections, interspersed with personal reflection.

Bunter conveys an air of awesome solemn dignity lightened at rare intervals by an icy sarcasm and an understated but biting criticism.

Later, he wrote biting criticisms of the work in an apparent attempt to get it discontinued long enough for him to revise it and market the second version himself.