"homosexual" because there is no attempt made to contribute to anyone's knowledge or understanding of the fact of homosexuality. Vincent, himself, is not "homosexual," and this is made abundantly clear. "Tell me the truth, now, kid," Vincent's whoremaster says to him. "Are you queer yourself? Even a little bit?" "I don't think so," Vincent says. "I don't think so either. It's better. You get a kid who's really a little fag at heart, he makes attachments. He begins to have preferences. And that is bad. It should be business. All business. They should get what they pay for. No more, no less." Vincent's patron, the only homosexual important enough to be dignified with a name, is never analyzed he's just another "fag," who, in the end gets what he deserves. Well, perhaps a little more than he deserves, for, as Vincent's fag-rolling companion observes: "For rolling a fag you don't get much even if you get caught. Killing people is different. And even fags are people."

The relationship between Vincent and his wealthy "friend" is just some-

thing that happens. Even though it extends over the latter third of the book we garner no details. For Vincent it is a matter of money and a matter of having no choice. We're not told what it means to his "lover" nor what they do. The relationship has no meaning-it is but an excuse for murder.

I would not object to the unpleas antness of this book if I felt that it contributed in any way to man's understanding of man, nor even if there were any one character who emerged as a person for whom life had some meaning or who gave some meaning to life. This, in my opinion, is not the case.

And yet, there is one small area in which a reader may feel some identification with and sympathy for Vincent. To the point that it becomes nauseatingly repititious, Vincent is made sick to his stomach. Everything, almost, that he sees or hears, even what he, himself, thinks and does, makes him want to vomit. Most readers, I think, are apt to feel the same Marcel Martin

way.

ACE-HI Moving & Storage Co.

Bruce D. Ross, Owner

A Complete Personalized Service at Minimum Rates

5154 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles 27 Normandy 1-3183

Visit Our

Furniture Showrooms

at

127 S. Western Avenue

Dunkirk 9-1201

one

26