THE CORRUPTERS

by Dariel Telier ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 10, 1964

The author's best known previous book is The Caretakers. This one shares that read-on-to-see-what-will-happen quality, even though it is soon evident that the implications of the story are all wrong. The point is supposed to be the lack of concerned supervision afforded to paroled reform school girls and the trainable retarded placed in private homes. Because all the characters are involved in the public school system, either as teachers or board members, the moral fiber of those who direct American education is held up to undeserved question. Even the two ""good"" teachers are shown as weakly anxious to by-pass responsibility. Things reach such a state in their Midwestern town that they can't. It all started when the teen age son of a respected school principal glimpsed his father creeping naked from the room of a retarded girl whom the mental hospital had allowed the family to take. With an inevitability that is highly questionable, the boy rung out to tell the head of the school board, who turns out to be the stereotype of all obese, middled-aged homosexuals. He involves the boy in his homosexual club, which also includes another principal and some retarded boys. The assistant high school principal impregnates his housemaid, a paroled reform school girl. A whiff of young love for the reporter who digs into these cases fails to sweeten the air. The corruption of The Corrupters is its titillating melodrama and its lack of reasonable focus.

Pub Date: July 10, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1964

Categories: FICTION