IN THE WRONG RAIN

    In the Wrong Rain by Robert R. Kirsch. Little, Brown (1959), 339 pp.
    Business consultant Frank Chesney seems to be living the American dream. He has a lovely wife, three mostly untroubled boys, a pleasant house, and a steady income from Hollywood clients. But beneath the surface Frank has problems. He has no friends. His kids are most appealing when they’re not around. And his wife, Sue, is more of a marriage manager than a soulmate. He begins to confront these problems when Pat Godden, seventeen-year-old daughter of Sue’s old college roommate, arrives in L. A. to become an actress. Sue agrees to help her become adjusted, but it’s Frank who becomes attracted to the emotional and insecure young woman.
    The novel has (at least) three themes, none of which receives fully satisfying treatment. The first concerns the average guy who finds his feelings of guilt, anger and loneliness bursting forth in behavior that he finds unacceptable. Frank is definitely that guy, but he never quite seems go beyond rationalizations and come to an understanding of his actions. Another theme turns on the sterility of married life in the 1950s’ era of togetherness. Kirsch paints a pretty dismal picture of Frank and Sue’s marriage all right, but he offers them no alternative to just sticking it out. A third theme revolves around the relationship of an older man and a younger woman. Here Frank’s motivation doesn’t seem carnal enough. He’s drawn almost completely to Pat’s emotional instability and takes only a passing interest in her sexual appeal. Adding to these thematic problems is Kirsch’s irritating fondness for dialog in the form of accusatory outburst. Still, the book raises enough issues to gain a modern audience. Book groups, in particular, might find that it prompts lively discussion.