When The Shipping News was published in hard cover, it was hailed by The Boston Globe as being in the tradition of George Eliot, the two writers alike in their love of observation, and their understanding of place in relation to person. George Eliot's classic statement defining her intent to be realistic in her writing, to focus on the common life and everyday experiences, is representative of what Proulx has done as well. Like her nineteenth-century British predecessor, Proulx has a sharp eye for setting as well as a good ear for regional voices. The dialogue of the novel makes character reflect region.

However, Proulx's portrayal of character seems more in the manner of Dickens than in the vein of George Eliot.

From Dickensian-like names to similarly caricatured personalities, the people of Killick-Claw (and Mockingburg as well) call to mind the Uriah Heeps and the David...