PEN, JOHN. _Temptation._ (trans. from the Hungarian by John Manheim,) Avon Red and Gold, 1959, (m). Fine picaresque.
PEYREFITTE, ROGER. _Special Friendships._ NY, Vanguard 1950, (m).
+ PHELPS, ROBERT. _Heroes and Orators._ N. Y., McDowell & Oblensky 1958. Fine modern novel of family relationships, containing a lesbian character described as the most real, human and sympathetic in recent years; Margot, in love with her ex-husband’s sister Elizabeth. The two women live together, but any intimate relationship between them is disclaimed.
PHILLIPS, THOMAS HAL. _The Bitterweed Path._ Rinehart 1949, pbr Avon 1954, 1959, (m).
POWELL, DAWN. _A Cage for Lovers._ Boston, Houghton Mifflin 1957. Mannish, wealthy hypochondriac keeps her nurse-companion in virtual slavery until the younger girl breaks away and marries. Competent novel by a popular author.
PRIEST, J. C. _Private School._ Beacon pbo 1959 scv.
PRITCHARD, JANET. _Warped Women._ Beacon pbo 1951, 1956, 1959. Despite the lurid blurb and cover, this is a nice evening waster about an innocent young girl who goes to work for a woman’s health club which is, behind the scenes, an abortion mill run by gangsters. Fronting for the group, an attractive lesbian takes a fancy to the heroine, eventually protects her against the gangster boss at the risk of her own life. The heroine then marries a nice boy who’s been telling her all along that the place is rotten. Suspenseful, interesting.
PROUST, MARCEL. _Remembrance of Things Past_, the great work of the well-known French homosexual author, is available in many (virtually all except rural-provincial) libraries, numerous college editions, etc. Long sections are variant, male-homosexual or lesbian; bibliography would occupy entirely too much space. Try a stray volume in qpb and see if Proust is your cup of tea—he isn’t everyone’s.
PURTSCHER, NORA. _Woman Astride._ Appleton-Century, 1934. Woman spends almost her entire life in male disguise. Offbeat, variant rather than explicitly lesbian.
PYKE, RICHARD. _The Lives and Deaths of Roland Greer._ NY, Boni 1929, (m). Horrifying.
RAVEN, SIMON. _The Feathers of Death._ London, A. Blond, 1959, Simon & Schuster 1960, (m).
RAYTER, JOE (pseud. of Mary McChesney). _Asking for Trouble._ Morrow 1955, pbr Pocket Books 1959. Murder mystery. A mannish, hard-boiled lesbian plays an important part.