Wilde’s Dorian Grey and the fantastic fun of J.M. Barrie, each in its own way contributes distinctly and originally to humorous literature; while its special characteristic lies in the self- consciousness of the jester and capricious blend of romance and reality in his method.
It contains more spirit of mockery than elder humor; there is an absence of that immense flow of animal spirits that meets us in Dickens, or the tender, spontaneous whimsicality of Lamb The humor is thinner, drier, and less universal in its appeal. It belongs far more to a time and to fashion than does the humor of the elder humorists.