The publication of [Out of the Way: Later Essays] by Colin MacInnes (1914–76) reflects a feeling that he may be remembered for his essays in the weekly journals no less than for his novels. He belongs, we like to think, in the tradition of London hacks, "critics of the arts and society", represented by Johnson and Hazlitt, Orwell and Connolly….

[The essays] deal with Gurkhas and Chinese in Britain, with going bail and getting "nicked", rape, gaming-houses and police harassment of blacks. MacInnes is always acting as defending counsel. He hates condemnatory generalizations….

In his essays MacInnes presents himself as a Standard Englishman trying to persuade his fellows to see the other point of view, to be less prejudiced towards the outsiders, the deviants, the aliens and inferiors. All the unpopular groups must be tolerated or, at least, understood—teenagers, crooks, drug-takers, blacks, corrupt policemen, gays and rapists. The...