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ESSAYS: DENNIS O'DRISCOLLreviews The Company They Kept: Writers on Unforgettable FriendshipsEdited by Robert B Silvers and Barbara Epstein New York Review Books, pp 298, £14.99

IF THE OPPOSITE of love is indifference, the opposite of friendship is betrayal. Friendship is the realm of trust rather than passion: censorship is lifted, confidentiality assured and full disclosure facilitated. Within the wonky, hand-drawn circle of friendship, conversational restraints are much looser than they would be among mere acquaintances; you are largely (though not wholly) free to say whatever is on your mind – to spit it out, tease it out, without falling out. While erotic love finds its ultimate expression beyond words, friendship finds its most satisfying outlet in words: exchanges of news, opinions, tribulations, shared enthusiasms. Drinks, meals, concerts and travels may form part of the picture, too, but they are mere props; it is the words that count.