THE WEEPING AND THE LAUGHTER

by Vera Caspary ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 1950

From the devious, deadly charms of Bedelia and Laura this retains the dramatic momentum of these earlier books in a study of suicide, uses the glamoured artifice of Beverley Hills to tell the story of Emmy Arkwright, a successful fashion designer whose public success was matched by personal failure. After Emmy's first, failing attempt to kill herself, Nat Volck- a young doctor- bitter and uncomfortable in his California Cadillac practice, attends her, watches over her slow return to memory, the denial of her act, her disbelief of those around her. And in her return to her old life, to the parasitic family which is cadging off her, to Herbert- her fiance- arrogant, pompous, to Frances- her partner- in love with Herbert, Emmy faces the same irritations, the same sense of failure and the desire to escape. But this time, as she is drawn down into the vortex of nightmare thoughts which lead to death, she overrides the impulse and escapes, has the stability and security offered by Nat ahead... Some fairly fancy accessories for a holding probing of this drive- this provides some sophisticated suspense.

Pub Date: July 12, 1950

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1950

Categories: FICTION