An Evening's Reading

CAROL IN A THOUSAND CITIES BY ANN ALDRICH.

FAWCETT, GOLD MEDAL,

1960. #D1009. $.50

A REVIEW BY GENE DAMON

NO OTHER WRITER ON LESBIANISM TODAY IS SO WIDELY DISCUSSED, HEATEDLY BERATED AND ARDENTLY DEFENDED AS MISS ANN ALDRICH. FEW OTHER LESBIANS HAVE AS UNFAIRLY TREATED THEIR FELLOW LESBIANS. NOW IN HER THIRD BOOK UNDER THIS PSEUDONYM, MISS ALDRICH HAS TAKEN A NEW TACK WITH VERY DIFFERENT RESULTS. THIS IS HER BEST CONTRIBUTION TO DATE, AND I SAY THIS IN ALL SINCERITY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE HAS UNJUSTLY AND UNFAIRLY CRITICIZED THE LADDER AND THE DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS. TO BE SURE, THIS IS HER BEST CONTRIBUTION BECAUSE SHE HAS RETIRED TO THE POSITION OF EDITOR. MOST OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKARE BY DISTINGUISHED NOVELISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.

THE BOOK BEGINS WITH LENGTHY EXCERPTS FROM THE ILLUSIONIST BY FRANCOISE MALLET, THE HEARTH AND THE STRANGENESS BY N. MARTIN KRAMER (BEATRICE WRIGHT), THE PRICE OF SALT BY CLAIRE MORGAN (PATRICIA HIGHSMITH), AND THE SHORT STORY, PAUL'S STRESS, BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT. FOLLOWING THESE IS AN ORIGINAL SHORT STORY BY AN UNDISCLOSED AUTHOR. TWO OF THESE FIVE PIECES ARE SYMPATHETIC; ALL ARE ARTISTIC.

THE SECOND SECTION IS ON PSYCHOLOGY. IT INCLUDES UNBIASED COMMENTS FROM SIGMUND FREUD, SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR AND CLARA THOMPSON.

THE THIRD SECTION BEGINS WITH SOME OF THE POOREST PARTS OF MISS ALDRICH'S SECOND BOOK, WE TOO MUST LOVE (FAWCETT, 1958). THIS IS FOLLOWED BY AN ANONYMOUS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SECTION BY A WELL ADJUSTED, EXCEEDINGLY HAPPY LESBIAN. THIS SHORT PIECE IS WELL CONSTRUCTED AND IS ALONE WELL WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK.

THEN COMES THE PART | ADMITTEDLY FIND HARD TO REVIEW OBJECTIVELY, FOR IT CONCERNS MISS ALDRICH'S REACTION TO THE

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