Mildred involved--almost as a 'Fifth Business' character--in a variety of couples. Julian, the rector whom many thought M. would marry--has proposed to Allegra, the widow of a churchman. Allegra wants Winifred away from her brother Julian and tells Mildred she'd like her to take Winifred as a roommate. Rocky and Helena have big argument--Helena moves out, expecting to move in (it seems) with Everard Bone, the anthropologist whom she seems to love. But Bone has asked Mildred to tell Helena--though she doesn't do it in time--that he does not love Helena and that she must stop acting foolish. It sounds like a comedy, but isn't, because there is a general unhappiness/longing in Mildred. Mousy, unadventurous--she doesn't expect love to come her way . . . but she wouldn't mind. I'm thinking this is headed toward a "she lives alone" ending, not a cheery surprise love/marriage.
PUPPY Dysfunctional family has puppy that they need to get rid of. Mom places ad; family is coming over. Description of family. Mom: husband changed from long-haired attractive to stooped old man. Husband: talks constantly of living on a farm and doing what needs to be done, though he never lived on a farm. Conversations together: Sell and move to Arizona, get hooked on phonics for kids, buying a car wash. . . wonderful randomness. Straight-laced suburbanite comes to look at puppy. Seems like she will buy it, even though she is repelled by house. (Dog turds on carpet, filthy.) She is proud of how accepting she is until she looks out window and sees white trash's son tied by harness to a tree. Reader knows he is a menace to himself, darting across I-90, for example. Suburban mother beats hasty retreat, leaving dog to be (probably) drowned by dad who does what has to be done. Suburbanite remembers her own pathetic ch...
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