Reviewing The Reviewer

Sir, - As a critic who has also had the dubious honour of recently reviewing a book by Eoin Neeson (December 8th), I have nothing…

Sir, - As a critic who has also had the dubious honour of recently reviewing a book by Eoin Neeson (December 8th), I have nothing but empathy for Brian Maye (December 1st). We were asked to review Mr Neeson's recent publications for The Irish Times because our opinions are informed and respected. That Brian Maye was not overly impressed by Mr Neeson's Birth of A Republic (Books, November 11th), and had the integrity to state and support his opinion, has been rewarded with a singularly undignified and ungracious public correspondence in The Irish Times.

Since Mr Neeson is consistently unreceptive to opinions other than his own, perhaps he should refrain from placing his work in the public domain. After all, his compulsion to enter into opprobrious correspondence upon the appearance of less than glowing reviews not only devours time (his and the reviewers') that could be better spent but, also must surely raise his blood pressure to exorbitant heights. Further, such correspondence serves no conceivable end, for it attempts to transfer the basis of opinion from the book to the person and, regardless of what Mr Neeson says, opinions based on the books will stand.

Yours, etc., Ellen Beardsley, Innishannon, Co Cork.