When Crampton Hodnet was first published in 1985, The New York Times acknowledged that "the disparate parts of this novel do not quite mesh into the seamless wonder of later works" but was largely positive. The Christian Science Monitor found the book "as brilliant as ever". Kirkus Reviews also reviewed the book positively, noting that the book's "datedness", it having been published 45 years after it was written, "provides much of its charm".
When Crampton Hodnet was first published in 1985, The New York Times acknowledged that the novel's structure wasn't entirely cohesive but found it generally positive. The Christian Science Monitor declared it "as brilliant as ever", while Kirkus Reviews also praised the book, highlighting its datedness (published 45 years after its creation) as a contributing factor to its charm.