On December 15, 1955, the Times critic – anonymous in those days – wrote in a review: "Mr. Brooke writes with the disciplined freedom that has always led him, enchanted and enchanting, round the spirals of his personal experience.
ˌɔn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ fˈɪftiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈaɪv, ðə tˈaɪmz kɹˈɪɾɪk ɐnˈɑːnəməs ɪn ðoʊz dˈeɪz ɹˈoʊt ɪn ɐ ɹᵻvjˈuː: "mˈɪstɚ. bɹˈʊk ɹˈaɪts wɪððə dˈɪsɪplˌɪnd fɹˈiːdəm ðæt hɐz ˈɔːlweɪz lˈɛd hˌɪm, ɛntʃˈæntᵻd ænd ɛntʃˈæntɪŋ, ɹˈaʊnd ðə spˈaɪɚɹəlz ʌv hɪz pˈɜːsənəl ɛkspˈiəɹɪəns.