Hooked

Pauline Kael's works have evoked either adoration or strong criticism. But few readers of the New Yorker, for which she serves as movie critic, react to Kael with indifference. Critics should consistently provoke opinion, and Kael does so without fail, as shown in this collection of her New Yorker reviews. Over the years, Kael has lost none of her bite; she is still brimming with opinions--but opinions fully supported, not simply thrown out to see how far their ripple will travel. ISBN 0-525-24705-X: $24.95.