23 OCTOBER 1953, Page 28

POE has been described as " Heaven's way- ward child."

The title, apt though it may seem, rouses the anger of Mr. Philip Lindsay, and in this comprehensive study he tries to explain Poe's twisted mind and to reveal him as a " loveable figure." Mr. Lindsay has spared few pains to gain his readers' sympathy, but his fervent enthusiasm tends instead to deter us, while his concessions to vulgar taste destroy our faith in his powers of criticism. This is a popular psychological study, but unfortunately it adds little to