Other People

by Sol Stein, Marguerite Gavin

What does a man really know about love? Francis Widmer is a well-bred, beautiful, provocative young woman with a good mind. When she is raped by Harry Koslak, she decides to press charges. Her attorney father sends her to George Thomassy, as successful criminal lawyer. Thomassy, against his better judgment, involves himself in the case and finds himself attracted to Francine more than he cares to admit. Stein lays bare the unsavory, manipulative aspects of criminal law as he explores today's sexuality - its cruelties, hypocrisies, joys and mysteries.

362 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Sol Stein was a best-selling novelist and the publisher of works by James Baldwin and Che Guevara. He also worked with David Frost, Jack Higgins, Elia Kazan, Dylan Thomas, and W.H. Auden.

Stein and Baldwin met as students at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, where they worked on the literary magazine.

Stein served in the Army during World War II. In 1949 he received a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University.

In the 1950s Stein worked at Voice of America, wrote plays, and moved into publishing. He established his own publishing company, Stein & Day, in 1962 with his then-wife. Stein used other publishers for his own novels so he would not be competing with the authors that Stein & Day published.

Stein & Day closed after 27 years, and Stein wrote the nonfiction A Feast for Lawyers as a result of the bankruptcy.

Stein went on to write books about writing, and he taught in colleges. He also helped create WritePro, software to teach fiction writing to its users.

Reviews

[Sam Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using different characters to tell the story reminded me of when I first came across the narrative device in an HH Kirst crime novel. HH's however wasn't of rape, this was, and told in every precise and unforgiving brutish detail. Sol Stein's clinical depiction of rape, the sense of uncouth entitlement that some men have towards the female body (the actual woman doesn't seem to matter) was compulsive reading. Through the many characters - her analyst, lawyers, rapist, relatives telling of their own lives, dreads and desires - we follow the victim's fight for retribution if not justice through the twisted moral maze of the US legal system. Although first published in 1979 I doubt the practice of law in the US today is substantially different, nor many of the attitudes to rape victims.
Sol Stein is also good on the social complexities surrounding 'conventional' sex, and the punchy dialogue is spot on. It was when he slid towards the sentimental that his suspension of disbelief faltered: his tender love scenes came embarrassingly close to Melvyn Bragg's depictions, and for only that reason did I decide against a 5 star review.

[Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great and interesting story that I found on libby. I listened to the audiobook and liked the narrator's. I actually rated it 3.5 stars 🌟.

[Bella Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η Κάρολιν Μπένσον, μια νεαρή γυναίκα, κατηγορείται άδικα για τη δολοφονία ενός άντρα που δεν γνώριζε καν. "Other People" του Σολ Στάιν βάζει στο μικροσκόπιο το νομικό σύστημα, τον φόβο και την παράνοια που βιώνει ένα άτομο όταν η ζωή του ανατρέπεται από μια κατηγορία. Η αφήγηση εστιάζει στην ψυχολογική κατάσταση της Κάρολιν, τον δικηγόρο της που παλεύει για την αλήθεια και τις σκοτεινές πτυχές της ανθρώπινης φύσης. Η πλοκή είναι ένας λαβύρινθος από ανατροπές, ψέματα και κρυφές αλήθειες, δείχνοντας πόσο εύκολα η κοινή γνώμη και το σύστημα μπορούν να καταστρέψουν έναν αθώο άνθρωπο.
Πέρα από την πλοκή, ο Στάιν θέτει μεγάλα ερωτήματα για την αλήθεια και την ηθική. Η ιστορία φωτίζει την αδικία του νομικού συστήματος και πόσο εύκολα η κοινή γνώμη μπορεί να καταδικάσει κάποιον. Μιλάει για την ελπίδα, την αντοχή του ανθρώπου και το βαρύ τίμημα της προκατάληψης.
Ο Στάιν γράφει με έναν καθηλωτικό τρόπο. Η γλώσσα είναι άμεση και ρεαλιστική, σε ρουφάει αμέσως. Ο ρυθμός είναι γρήγορος, γεμάτος σασπένς, κρατώντας το ενδιαφέρον αμείωτο μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα.
Οι χαρακτήρες έχουν βάθος. Η Κάρολιν είναι μια αξέχαστη ηρωίδα, εύθραυστη αλλά δυνατή, που παλεύει για τη ζωή της. Ο δικηγόρος της είναι εξίσου καλοσχεδιασμένος, με τον δικό του κώδικα ηθικής.
Γενικά, η ιστορία είναι ένα αληθινό αριστούργημα του είδους. Είναι μια εμπειρία ανάγνωσης που δύσκολα ξεχνάς, επειδή σε βάζει στη θέση ενός αθώου ανθρώπου που παλεύει ενάντια σε έναν ολόκληρο μηχανισμό. Το σασπένς είναι αμείωτο και ο τρόπος που ο Στάιν χτίζει την πλοκή είναι απλά μοναδικός. Σε κρατάει σε αγωνία μέχρι την τελευταία στιγμή και σε κάνει να σκεφτείς σοβαρά πόσο εύθραυστη είναι τελικά η δικαιοσύνη.
Μια ανάγνωση που αξίζει κάθε λεπτό του χρόνου σας.

[Berthine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is disturbing as so truthful about a beautiful feeling smart young woman and her dad and other men that lurk around her and disturb her pretty bad and how she tries to navigate through this.
Beautiful descriptions of the likely jewish older psychiatrist-man's feelings who is supposed to help her but also covets her, and of the female:
(p83)'"Shall I sit here?" she says, pointing to the chair in which her father sat during our interview.
"Yes, please."
Am I imagining she slides her body into the chair as if it is an intimate act? I notice the naturalness of the shape of her breasts. Marta (his deceased wife) wore a brassiere always, a girdle always. It was the times.
She crosses her legs in defense of the flower. Better then the subway-riding women, sitting legs apart, unwanted. She tosses her hair, I expect it is lovely to touch.'

[Jeff Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exact in its execution of craft. The plot propelled by multiple points of view from the first person. Insightful and probing into justice, evil, love, lust, jealousy, despair. Three men loving the same woman in three separate ways: as father, as lover, as patient and unobtainable. This book takes a critical look a rape and how victims can be seen and treated as victims. Heart, empathy is nowhere in this book. This not a movement book. It is stark, moving deliberately forward from character to character on a tense wire. It's not a legal thriller although there is good lawyering in it. All in all it is about a girl who has been raped, a lawyer who advocates on her behalf, their love story, the lawyer's combat against injustice, and victory. It's a good story, well written, satisfying for a reader and writer.

[Lisa Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd. Very 70's. quite disgusting at times. But interesting.

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Italia: GLI ALTRI

[Menia]

Άλλοι άνθρωποι
Σολ Στάιν
μετάφραση: Ελένη Τζελέπογλου
Ψυχογιός, 1987
380 σελ.
ISBN 960-7020-98-7, ISBN-13 978-960-7020-98-7