The `New' Monitor. PRO/CON.

Congratulations on the new graphics and typography for the Monitor. It is one of the most elegant formats I have seen for a tabloid. I like the logo headings telling the reader what section he is in. Earl Damude Toronto, Canada

We were pleasantly surprised with the first issue in January 1989 and wish to congratulate you for making what must have been a giant step. I see no let-down in the character of the writing or in the choice of articles presented. The writing is superlative, the cartoons still as funny and thought-provoking, and the articles still cover the unusual and far-away places and people. Kathryn Brandt Santa Barbara, Calif.

Looking at the newspaper dispassionately, I believe one finds as many readable, exciting, and in-depth articles as ever. I especially like the new format where an article is completed on one page. I still clip more articles from the Monitor than from any other publication. Incidentally, a close friend of mine in San Antonio, a district judge, declines to read any other paper except the Monitor. Lamar Smith Washington Member of Congress

I think you have made a remarkable transition from the old to the new format. The greater length of the articles is welcome. Cutting back on the number of articles has not hurt their quality. Well done. Compliments to all of you. Your paper is essential reading. The coverage, the ingenuity, and the balance make the Monitor first-rate. William K. Muir, Jr. Berkeley, Calif.

This is a ``thank you'' for the new Monitor. I love the soft coloring throughout the paper, and the articles are clear and to the point. I really appreciate the better quality of paper. It is coming to me in A-1 condition. Addie Garrett Oklahoma City

I am very pleased you have eliminated the recipes for food and added more art. I also think the color is excellent. Ilene F. Joyce Boise, Idaho

The new format makes reading the paper much easier. It is better organized, well presented, and uncluttered. Dorothy Hall Francestown, N.H.

I especially like having the editorial page on the back again. Maxine Le Pelley Venice, Fla.

Without reservation, I find the Monitor, with its latest changes, to be your finest hour. The new format combines the in-depth analysis of a weekly magazine with the background material usually confined to a monthly magazine. In my view, a winning combination. Stan Rubenstein Cutchogue, N.Y.

What a beautiful new look for our old friend - the Monitor! F. Caroline Williams Des Moines, Wash.

I now check out the paper from cover to cover and enjoy every minute of it - something I haven't done for a few years. Evelyn Radcliffe Palo Alto, Calif.

CON I wish you hadn't done it! The new Monitor can't hold a candle to its predecessor. It's really no longer a newspaper, since timeliness has been sacrificed to color. Priscilla H. Dalrymple Acton, Mass.

While it is true that the Monitor will always be ``scooped'' by radio and TV news, that in itself should not cause it to drop its daily news. Analysis without the news as a backdrop is of little use. David Creighton Fremont, Calif.

We do not look to the Monitor to give us a ``quick fix'' on the news. We look it as the ``paper of record,'' in which we find in-depth reporting on what was only sketched in our local paper. Robert Eccles Greencastle, Ind.

As a faithful reader - I am appalled by your new format! You are not keeping ``abreast of the times.'' You have reduced the Monitor to a miniature USA Today. Sujata Kesarcodi-Whaley Boston

Does everything have to be dumbed down and condensed to appeal to the simplest minds these days? Maybe the kids wouldn't take time to read the thought-provoking Monitor of pre-l989, but if you are courting the kids, forget it. They don't read anyway. M.L. Wolfe Iowa City, Iowa

I am one of the young readers you are trying to appeal to; I don't find the change very appealing. The old Monitor had dignity. Adam Goloda Boston

I am a young professional person living in a rural area. I began borrowing a friend's Monitor and then got my own trial subscription. I got hooked! Page 2 brought me up to date on all the vital news. The longer news articles analyzed and interpreted various events and situations. Elizabeth Newman Hinesburg, Vt.

Advertising that serves the reader and confirms corporate respect for the Monitor is a sad omission. Carol E. Genco Avon, Conn.

Top news stories are too long and too analytical. The length is emphasized further by the appearance of some pages that are covered almost entirely by uniform columns of the new more condensed print. Warren Koepke Lake Oswego, Ore.

I miss the capsules of events on the second page. This page gave a brief synopsis of what's going on in the world without having to read all of the long articles. Virginia Halliday Pompano Beach, Fla.

I have not received a Monitor on time since it was altered. Lynn Carpenter Grand Rapids, Mich.

I have been reading the new Monitor for a month, and I cannot discern just what it purports to be. It looks like a miniature magazine whose focus is a general survey. Much of the material is quite useless to me, for example, the young man's musings about not being related to Charlemagne. Ann L. Kish Rapidan, Va.