A critic's job
Sir: I suppose one of my tender years should be content to be described as a man- darin by Colin Welch (Centrepiece, 29 Oc- tober). But somehow I cannot leave it at that. I feel I ought to say that the job of the critic is to provide an appreciation of work on its own terms. In reviewing Raymond Williams's Towards 2000 I am first of all conscious that the reader does not want to hear my political views, he wants my assess- ment for what it is worth. If Mr Welch were to read my review again he would see that there is nothing in it to suggest that 1 share Williams's politics — it was merely en- thusiastic about the quality and moral strength of the book. The distinction bet- ween 'use' and 'consumption' is one which Mr Welch would do well to study. I hope he does because I would like to read his pro- perly considered response to Williams. Cer- tainly it would be better than yet another column-filler arising from that most arid and hermetic form of journalism — the scanning of rival publications in order to find something with which to disagree.
Bryan Appleyard
The Times, 200 Gray's Inn Road, London W C I
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