Some critics took issue with Carlyle's style, and his stance on the revolution. William H. Prescott found Carlyle's "attempt to colour so highly what nature has already over-coloured" to be "in very bad taste", producing "a grotesque and ludicrous effect"; he also took issue with Carlyle's "affectations of new-fangled words" and "trite" views.
Carlyle faced criticism from some critics regarding his writing style, particularly with regards to his stance on the revolution. William H. Prescott found Carlyle's attempt to add a lot of emphasis to what is already rich in expression to be "in very poor taste", resulting in "a comical and absurd effect"; he also criticized Carlyle's use of unusual vocabulary and his unoriginal views.