scene where Arthur is told the circumstances of Warren's death is set at a base similar to that of Guard of Honor, an earlier Cozzens novel. Warren's death, along with that of several others, was a direct result of his reckless flying in disobedience of orders. (He is reminiscent of Lieutenant Colonel Benny Carricker, one of the key characters in Guard of Honor.) Julius Penrose – Arthur's partner. Julius's long commentary on why he detests Catholicism is one of the more controversial parts of the book. Controversy By Love Possessed was an immediate commercial and critical success. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list for 34 weeks, holding the number-two position below Peyton Place and then number 1 for several months, before Anatomy of a Murder displaced it. Over 500,000 copies were initially sold. The Reader's Digest Condensed version sold over 3,000,000. Initial reviews were overwhelmingly favorable. However, there was a reaction to the book itself; the extent of the positive reviews and a Time magazine September 2, 1957, cover story about Cozzens, "The Hermit of Lambertville". Cozzens was criticized for the denseness of his style and unrealism in conversations. He was also criticized for being an upholder of "the Establishment", and having a pessimistic view of human potential. There is little dispute about him having those viewpoints. He was also criticized as a bigot. At one point in the book, Noah refers to "Jew lawyer tricks", and another character defends the previous generation's attitude towards Jews. Julius Penrose's extended disquisition on Catholicism, and the absurdity of Marjorie's friend named Mrs. Pratt (her explanation of "things" to Arthur) both led to charges of anti-Catholicism. There was also more than a hint of a condescending attitude towards African-Americans, represented in the Revere family, which had provided servants to only the "best families" in town for generations. The charge of anti-Semitism was the strongest, and was reinforced by the most critical article on the book appearing in Commentary. Cozzens's defenders point out that Cozzens, far from being discriminatory, had a fairly low opinion of the entire human race. They also point out that the only person he was close to was his wife, who was Jewish. Dwight Macdonald's Commentary article, a hostile review of By Love Possessed which he titled "By Cozzens Possessed, a Review of Reviews", ignited a critical firestorm. McDonald characterized the success of By Love Possessed