23 MARCH 1951, Page 18

Publisher and Reviewer

SI R,—Io her review of The Cardinal, Miss Marghanita Laski remark, that she is aocustomed"to "devour a book in a few hours." In

case a more protracted effort was made with disappointing result. It I; a pity that a book by an American writer of accepted literary reputatioa should find its way into the hands of a reviewer whose standard of intelligent reading so obviously invites the description of superficial.

—Yours faithfully, E. R. H. HARVEY. Joint Managing Director, MacDonald & Co., Ltd. 43 Ludgate Hill, E.C.4.

[Our reviewer, at any rate, adopts an entirely disinterested attitude towards the book in question ; its publishers' attitude is a matter fo: anyone's conjecture.—ED., Spectator.]