The Critic's Task
To the Editor:
Raymond Rosenthal handled the review of John Horne Bums’ novel, The Gallery, in the December COMMENTARY, on the plane of ideas alone. . . . I felt and enjoyed the review’s keen seriousness, the taut displacement of the author’s ideas for those of the critic. But Mr. Rosenthal hurled intangibles like so much invective, and did not for one moment let the author display his gait nor his tale. Any review should at least tell you what the author tried to say. . . . If the characters in the book had no relation to the realities of our day, it was Mr. Rosenthal’s job to show why he thought so. Mr. Rosenthal is a writer of considerable talent, but even a champion is disqualified when he wins a race by knocking down all the hurdles on the course.
Allen Ericson
Poughkeepsie, New York
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