THE AFFAIR

.... of an uninitiated but eager Dutch student- in Zurich during the war- looking for ""an adventure""- and an artist- is wan- and at the most a little forlorn. Anthoni, the student, is quickly permitted the intimacy he seeks with Catherine, only to learn that she has another lover (to whom she is grateful and therefore obligated) and that her painting will come first in any case. During the months which follow, he is given to many abstract reveries about himself and his doubtful future- with or without Catherine; he is ""a tourist in life"", he has ""a vicarious soul"", he ""vegetates""; more practically he is broke, and he is in a parlous position with the invasion- and he should clear out of the country. Catherine keeps him there, he is assigned to land duty- but runs back to Catherine, and finally- when she dismisses him- he is completely will-less....A more experienced hand might make inexperience interesting---- here it is only callow.