Kirkus Reviews QR Code
THIRD TIME LUCKY by Stanley Mann

THIRD TIME LUCKY

By

Pub Date: Oct. 30th, 1978
Publisher: St. Martin's

Nutty people. . . can be very sexually attractive."" So says definitely nutty Helen Fielding, but not many readers will find her-or this tiny psycho-drama--especially attractive. One night, crazy, divorced ex-actress Helen gets a phone call from a warm-voiced stranger eager to meet her: he claims that her analyst gave him her name. She resists, but he insists. She acts super-crazy and gross to put him off, but he is unshakably loving and understanding. She warms up to him. They exchange chat about their respective phobias (he has supposedly gotten over his). He sort of analyzes her (her analyst is on vacation) and helps her with her fear of public places. They consummate. He confides: ""You don't know how hard it is for a man to remainin possession of his own cock, his own self."" She's in love, maybe even not crazy any more; then comes the predictable twist: her dream-man turns out to be even crazier than she is. ""Soon to be a major motion picture starring Barbra Streisand."" If so, it will need every smidgin of la Streisand's charisma to give charm or conviction to this garish blend of watch-the-crazy-lady creepiness and love-can-conquer-madness sentimentality.