Lighten up

I would like to express my dismay at the comments offered by Catherine Brace (THES, August 2) regarding the serialised novel Dead Clever by Ted Nield.

Descriptions such as "malodorous claptrap" and "singularly unfunny" are sorely unjustified, and are possibly more reflective of her inability to appreciate a superlative and highly entertaining contemporary depiction of academic life.

The criticisms suggest that a light-hearted and uncomplicated plot is an unacceptable form of literature to be serialised in The THES. I welcome a moment of light relief from the everyday grind of the present academic climate, though I am aware that not everyone shares similar literary tastes. If Dead Clever does not suit the requirements of Ms Brace then I suggest she reads alternative works.

Sarah Sherlock Granby Court Bletchley