The Insatiable Wives

For those uncertain of the ethical position Mr. Simmons subscribed to concerning the fibre of modern adult life, this great work of modern literature should clear the table of any doubts. The truth is presented in glaring, no-holds-barred realism for which the author is justly noted, and the graphic scenes read like a nightmare diary of contemporary times, with the emphasis on the reality of everyday occurrences. The Insatiable Wives shows the full, diverse range of emotional and rational values in this prophetic montage of hard-bitten corruption. One sees, at an early juncture, the absolute helplessness of the young and unprotected, so central a theme to life's bitter lessons, for helplessness is vulnerability, and vulnerability causes a kind of vacuity which drives them on. In this novel, the story of the young wife of a Viet Nam serviceman, Vickie Socik is fearlessly portrayed in all her soul-searing poignancy as the girl is forced by her own fears to continue her quest for release.

It is not a matter of kicks, as it is with some of the magnificently drawn secondary characters, but this fear, this masochistic rage at herself and her subsequent submission to her agony, which makes Vickie such a heroic figure. This very rawness is what, in the opinion of the publishers, makes this outstanding work so sophisticated and true to life.