---
title: "Criticism, whatever may be its pretensions, never does more than to d… — James Branch Cabell Quote #6 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "Criticism, whatever may be its pretensions, never does more than to define the impression which is made upon it at a certain moment by a work wherein… — a quote by James Branch Cabell."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # Criticism, whatever may be its pretensions, never does more than to define the impression which is made upon it at a certain moment by a work wherein the writer himself noted the impression of the world which he received at a certain hour.

[James Branch Cabell](https://quotesby.net/James-Branch-Cabell)\#6[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CCriticism%2C%20whatever%20may%20be%20its%20pretensions%2C%20never%20does%20more%20than%20to%20define%20the%20impression%20which%20is%20made%20upon%20it%20at%20a%20certain%20moment%20by%20a%20work%20wherein%20the%20writer%20himself%20noted%20the%20impression%20of%20the%20world%20which%20he%20received%20at%20a%20certain%20hour.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20James%20Branch%20Cabell%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJames-Branch-Cabell%2F6%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CCriticism%2C%20whatever%20may%20be%20its%20pretensions%2C%20never%20does%20more%20than%20to%20define%20the%20impression%20which%20is%20made%20upon%20it%20at%20a%20certain%20moment%20by%20a%20work%20wherein%20the%20writer%20himself%20noted%20the%20impression%20of%20the%20world%20which%20he%20received%20at%20a%20certain%20hour.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20James%20Branch%20Cabell&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJames-Branch-Cabell%2F6%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJames-Branch-Cabell%2F6%2F)

## More from James Branch Cabell

1. > Tell the rabble my name is Cabell.

[Permalink to quote \#5](https://quotesby.net/James-Branch-Cabell/5/ "Permalink to quote 5")
2. > Sad hours and glad hours, and all hours, pass over; One thing unshaken stays: Life, that hath Death for spouse, hath Chance for lover; Whereby decays Each thin…

[Permalink to quote \#7](https://quotesby.net/James-Branch-Cabell/7/ "Permalink to quote 7")
3. > A book, once it is printed and published, becomes individual. It is by its publication as decisively severed from its author as in parturition a child is cut o…

[Permalink to quote \#4](https://quotesby.net/James-Branch-Cabell/4/ "Permalink to quote 4")

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