 What is the writer's view of Mehta's works?
Shawn--"with his usual hushed delicacy of speech and manner"--inquires of the novelist whether he could possibly reveal what prompted the creation of such an exquisite work. This may seem odd, for Mehta is reputed to be a very dull writer whereas Ross is a famously zippy one. Moreover, Mehta writes as Shawn's adoring acolyte, whereas Ross writes as his longtime adulterous lover. Elsewhere, Ross refers to her lover's "very powerful masculinity," only to note on the very next page that "if he suffered a paper cut on a finger and saw blood, he would come into my office, looking pale."
 They appreciate that he persisted in telling his story.
 They found it boring.  They wished that Shawn set a restriction on how many words he allowed Mehta to publish.  They appreciate that he persisted in telling his story.  Like other critics, they found the growing word count intolerable.