 Some Neopagans have been bemused and upset by the scholarly criticism that "The White Goddess" has received in recent years, while others have appreciated its poetic insight but never accepted it as a work of historical veracity.Likewise, a few scholars find some value in Graves' ideas; Michael W. Pharand, though quoting earlier criticisms, rebutted, "Graves's theories and conclusions, outlandish as they seemed to his contemporaries (or may appear to us), were the result of careful observation.