Neither Five Nor Three

by Helen MacInnes

A novel about Communist infilitration into New York business, social, and academic life.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Espionage, Suspense, Politics, 20th Century

340 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 1951

About the author

Helen MacInnes was a Scottish-American author of espionage novels. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1928 with a degree in French and German. A librarian, she married Professor Gilbert Highet in 1932 and moved with her husband to New York in 1937 so he could teach classics at Columbia University. She wrote her first novel, Above Suspicion, in 1939. She wrote many bestselling suspense novels and became an American citizen in 1951.

Reviews

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of Helen MacInnes's best works. The premise, the infiltration of communists into various facets of post World War 2 New York City life, held promise but the delivery was so heavy-handed that it became a chore to read.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1951, this is set during the beginning of the Red Scare and hence seems very dated and heavvy-handed. On the other hand, some of this is very prescient:

"There's no choice," Brownlee had said, "no choice. They've chosen the weapons. Infiltration and control of propaganda sources. We shall have to learn to know them for what they are. Or go down in history as the biggest boobs of all time...It's up to people like us, who make our living in an information medium--the publishers, the writers, the producers and directors, the journalists, the columnists, the teachers and the preachers, the editors, the television and radio men. It's up to us. We ought to see the lies and guard against them. We've got to expose them."

Fake news...

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Hadyn is back from WW2 Europe. Some years ago, Paul had been engaged to Rona Metford, but then decided that marrying in war-time would be wrong, and so the engagement was broken off. Several years have passed and now Rona is engaged to Scott Ettley. Scott has formed an alliance, unknown at first to his fiance, with some questionable friends who, if not at least outright Communists, have sympathies with the Communist party.

This novel portrays how these influences affect Scott and also how they ultimately affect those around him. For me this book was a roller coaster ride, as at first it started slow, then picked up in intensity and then slowed again as I guessed the only possible ending.

Although a slow start for me at first, the book did pull me in as I began to sympathise more and more with Rona and her dilemma concerning her fiance. Having conquered the threat of Nazism in Europe, now both America and Europe (as Paul Hadyn was only too familiar with), are faced with yet another form of government that is just as dangerous to individual freedoms and independence that were so hard-won. The author did a good job of depicting the publishing world and the attempts to influence society through the written word.

MacInnes makes a good story, making it more personal to the reader as the characters struggle to make sense of their associates and worldview. Who is guilty, who is innocent? is freedom of the press just a name for post-WW2 America, and how real is the danger of infiltration? Must there ever be a state of watchfulness, or is there ever a time when it is safe to let down one's guard (even in seemingly innocent cocktail parties?) These and more are questions MacInnes brings to the forefront within the framework of characters in the New York City publishing world.

The plot has several strands that are woven together, family loyalties being just one of them . I really liked Rona's sister Peggy and her husband Jon, a very down-to-earth and yet intelligent and 'with it' couple! Nothing much escapes them. There is the puzzle to unravel behind Scott's seemingly practical reluctance to set a date for the wedding and then suddenly reversing himself and pushing for marriage within four weeks. The reader finds they are hoping that Rona discovers where Scott's true loyalties lie in time!

The first two-thirds of the novel were fast and an easy read for me, but there were also occasions when I found myself pushing through the book . Although the author does a good job of portraying the helpless net of choice and repercussions that choosing a totalitarian form of government brings, for some reason I began to get bogged down as the events escalated. The ultimate downfall of Nicolas Orpen, the man who so strongly influenced Scott Ettley, was a somewhat contrived scene, and it irritated me that Rona was sometimes portrayed as weak and vacillating. However this paragraph at least attempts to redeem the author's characterisation of women in general:

"I remember a Frenchman telling me during the war - he had been connected with the Resistance in occupied France - that the biggest surprise to him in the whole campaign had been the women. They could take more punishment than men. He'd send a girl on a dangerous mission - they did a lot of night courier jobs - and she'd run into trouble, nothing too serious but just enough to fray a man's nerves into making a false move, and she'd not only get through her brush with the Gestapo, but next morning she'd be standing in her kitchen, trying to cook a dinner and blaming the Boches for the scarcity of vegetables."

I have read that MacInnes' husband was in the M15 and it shows in her writing! I enjoyed this book and am eager to re-discover her other novels.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, as always. She lays out some important issues that all of us should be aware of and thinking about, including propaganda and the way people use charm to get you to their point of view, without really telling you what that point of view is. Remarkable book.

[David Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow-burning, tense novel centred on the creeping insurgence of Communist infiltration in post WWII America.
Paul Haydn, weary from 8 years service with US forces in occupied France and post collapse Berlin where he’d witnessed the ruthlessness of the Russian take-over intends to take a long break and consider his future as a sub-editor for a New York cultural magazine.
Persuaded that his expertise and talents could be useful he agrees to help monitor the Red influence in America and is unexpectedly aided by his former love and colleague, Rona Metford, (8 years younger and worried about her unlikeable new fiancé’s odd behaviour) who had coincidentally unearthed some un-American activity in the choice of writers and articles appearing in the magazine.
If you’re a fan of unease, New York in the early 1950s, superb writing with some sardonic humour this should suit you fine.
Modern parallels with the infiltration (and unpleasant successes) of the disdainful Woke culture into modern life may be drawn.

[Gene Steinbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book not only because it was a fun read, but also because it was written in 1952. I loved going back to a time when computers were not even known and the latest office technology was a typewriter. I got a real feel for what life was like back in 1952 (at least for middle-class society living in New York), a time when WWII was still fresh in the mind of the author and in the characters, a time when an appendicitis was a life and death situation.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine mystery, loved it because it was written in the 50's so the fashions and social norms are contemporary to then, so that was fun to read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very disturbing book!!! Makes you think...

[Neer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A paean to McCarthyism.

More here:

http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2014/1...

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This 1951 novel has a central conflict more relevant 70 years later than in its own time: the deliberate infiltration of media industries and academia by the Far Left.

Some important themes are tickled. The central female character has a decent career underway and is fighting the urge to give it all up for the wrong guy. That wrong fella is being positioned by his Communist pals to succeed his father, who runs a respected journal. Such a scale of conflict is honest and more challenging than your ordinary Red-baiting action thriller. The Communist cell here isn't trying to steal atomic secrets (the Klaus Fuchs trial is in the headlines), but is patiently -- and legally -- laying the ground work for a long march of cultural infiltration. For that reason, the honest, straight-arrow WWII vets trying to stop them must play a defensive waiting game.

Unfortunately polemics (from either side) alone don't make for very entertaining storytelling. MacInnes' writing misses the mark in almost every respect. The humorless tone mixes kitchen drama dialogue, awkward imagery, noirish hideouts, prosaic domestic scenes, and trite inner dialogues. Even the featured workplace, a magazine called Trend where the characters redline the Reds and fight off gossip, is a missed opportunity.

The author doesn't figure out a way to project the scale of the conflict onto an appropriate climactic stage, e.g. media expose or courtroom drama. Instead extraneous plot tricks are manufactured: the illness of a minor child character; escalating mistrust among the secretive Commies; and a vaguely explained random mugging.

While romantic threads drive much of the non-political action, this is a G-rated tale. Tears are the bodily fluid of choice, a hug or an outreached hand the most telling gesture.

[Michelle Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fast-paced and very exciting read. But also full of fascinating insight into the importance of words and the role that media and news outlets and universities etc play in influencing public thought. written in 1951 it definitely was quite pertinent for current issues and society.
AO year 11 read and an author i have come to enjoy And I can see why ambleside recommends it alongside more non-fiction books on the topic.

[Mary Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to Helen MacInnes books last year and have enjoyed all that I read. This one is on the AmblesideOnline YR 11 free read list, which I am working through this year.

The book starts as Paul Haydn flies home to NY after eight years in Europe. It is 1950 and he is ready to get back to civilian life. He quickly notices that the people and conversations happening around him are not what he expected.

If you or your kids are doing AO Yr 11, I think this book will be an enjoyable binge book.

[Denise Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1950 and Paul Haydn, who had been stationed in Europe during WWII, is returning home to New York City. He has been helping resettle "DPs," displaced persons, and has been deeply affected by the refugees he's seen from Eastern Europe and Eastern Germany fleeing from the Soviet Army and Occupation Forces. His former commander, Col. Roger Brownlee, asks Paul to stay in touch once he gets settled.

Rona Metford had been Paul's fiancee, but he broke it off after he was stationed in London as she was only 18 at the time. She has moved on and is now a researcher at Trend, a magazine dedicated to the arts, working in the Architecture division and completing her degree at night. She is also engaged to Scott Ettley, a young journalist, although Scott seems reluctant to set a date.

Scott is friends with his former professor, Nicholas Orpen, who has left academia and now writes articles and seems to have a network of friends among the intelligensia and intellectuals in New York. Rona doesn't particularly care for Nicholas, but doesn't really know why. She knows he has a strong hold over Scott.

Paul returns to his pre-war job, also at Trend, and learns the previous assistant editor has made some strange decisions in choosing articles to publish--many of the articles were written by Orpen using different pen names. Rona had brought these articles to the attention of the owner of Trend, causing the owner to fire the previous assistant editor. Paul suspects there is more to Nicholas Orpen than publicly known and contacts Brownlee.

Meanwhile, Orpen pressures Scott to break off his engagement with Rona because it's interfering with Scott's commitment to the Cause.

There are some similarities to the C.S. Lewis novel, That Hideous Strength, where people are not what they seem. Neither Five Nor Three captures a specific time in post-WWII America and I enjoyed the setting of the upper middle-class in 1950's New York City. People smoked, had friends over regularly for cocktails and dinner, and would consider going to dinner and a movie at 8:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. (What time did they have to be at work on Monday morning?)

[Rayrumtum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is set in the early 1950s in New York and it was written then. Hence, the author was influenced by the early days of the Red scare and McCarthyism. The main character returns from military service in Europe and was a psyops officer. He returns to his former job working for a magazine and becomes aware of Communist penetration of the media through subtle propaganda.
It seems to justify all of the blacklisting of that period, (Think Trumbo) but a lot of non-communists got caught in that as well for holding liberal views as the witch hunt took effect. However, jet forward to the present with the internet, Russia penetration of the media has become a real issue--more so than then.
The book was also sort of a time capsule. The author rather than recreating the 1950s is seeing it with contemporary eyes. One of my favorite parts was when a doctor made a house call and the pharmacy delivered the medicine to the home. I can vaguely recollect a doctor making house calls then.
I didn't think this book was tightly plotted. There was a lot of extraneous stuff. Plus the plot was rather simplistic and lacked the sophistication of say Alan Furst or Kanon. In my opinion this was not one of her best.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like stepping into a time machine and being transported to the 1950s New York City. Her wonderful descriptions reveal details about the way people lived. With World War II a recent memory, people were waking up to the concern of what might come after the fascism. As they watched country after country in Europe and Asia become part of a communist block, they grew concerned that it could happen in North America. MacInness weaves together a spy story tapping into those concerns. American communists and foreign operatives collaborate with Moscow to place their people into the media. Why media? It is a great place to put propaganda. They seek pliable young people who are either cynical or unhappy about life and they groom them until they are ready to join the party. Then they turn around and find others to join them in sowing discontent. This process has been happening since the earliest days of communism and it continues to occur today.

One thing I appreciate about MacInnes' writing is that I did not have to skip pages due to graphic violence or escapades in bed.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually read this over 30 years ago and loved it. Am reading it now for Pop Culture Group Cold War reading for Friday. Hope I can get it reread by then.

I do feel like it is womanly suspense, and I mean that mostly negatively. I doubt I noticed that the first time I read it...but I am intrigued by the story, and it is fun to see a view of New York life soon after the war. The book came out in 1951.

Well, I got a "new" copy from the library and finished it. What a disappointing surprise; I did not like it. I found it incredibly annoying. Now I wonder about all my other Helen MacInnes books. May be time to get rid of them. I'm also considering taking the book that is falling apart and giving a page to each of my spy students and having them do some kind of exercise with it. Oh, Helen. sigh.

[Greer Andjanetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is set in Washington DC, a departure from HM's usual locales in Europe. It deals with communist cells in the US in the early 1950's and their hidden propaganda campaigns. As usual there is a young couple involved who are romantically involved.
A somewhat slow, draggy story which no doubt would have been much more interesting if read closer to when it was written and the communist problem was current. An interesting note is the fact that at every opportunity, all the characters light up a cigarette, a practice that is remembered by we seniors but which seems very anachronistic today.

[B.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think about the fact that this was published in 1951 and then you look at the world today, it boggles the mind how prophetic Ms. MacInnes was when she wrote this. Although, I don't think she would've dreamed how it would all look 68 years later. This is definitely going on my keeper shelf. I even dogeared some pages to mark passages I want to go back over. And if you know me, you know how special it is for me to actually dogear any pages. If you haven't read it, read it. Find a copy and keep it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cold war story was a pretty blantent anti communist story written in the 1950s. I would have given it 2.5 but decided that since that since I was interested enough to finish the book I'd give it a 3.

[Gary Evins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her prescience is astonishing. Writing in 1952, she foresaw today's attacks on the 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendments (Speech, Privacy, Due Process). She always had a deeper understanding of espionage than the majority of writers. Interesting read in the 21st Century.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Startlingly up to date with our current political system, but where this works is in the powerful characterization. I didn't want it to end.

[Shane Headlam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good spy novel.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the writing of Helen MacInnes. With hindsight, I should have opted for one of her more well-known spy novels to get a better idea of her work.

At the beginning of the book is a poem by A E Housman so you know this is not going to be a laugh a minute read.

— To think that two and two are four
And neither five nor three
The heart of man has long been sore
And long ’tis like to be.

So mixed feelings on this one. I will give you my positives first. MacInnes is very skilled at creating rich characters and writing detailed dialogue. I felt like I knew most of the characters and they felt like real people, even the little kid Barbara was fun. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of 1950s Manhattan. Having lived on some of the blocks mentioned in the story this felt like hopping in a time machine.

I liked how she described the typing pool, the office gossiping - the office environment of the 1950s. I also liked most of the female characters in the book, They weren't helpless and frail as they can be in many spy novels.

The plot is slow, maddeningly slow. I think it was well past the three-quarters of the novel mark before any action or quickening of story took place. I don't mind a slow burner but in truth, as you knew what was coming then the pay-off just was not there for me.

Had I not been reading this for a podcast discussion I may well have jettisoned it. I will say that MacInnes is a fine writer, I like her characters and dialogue. I will definitely read her more popular and well-known novels.

[cool breeze · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is breathtakingly dated, yet has some echoes 70 years later. Published in 1951, It is concerned with the early years of the communist infiltration of the media and academia, a leftist takeover that is now essentially complete. Regrettably, but not surprisingly, the warnings of people like Helen MacInnes and Senator Joe McCarthy were shouted down by the selfsame people in the media and academia and thereafter ignored by all too many.

It doesn’t help that MacInnes approach is very heavy handed and the decidedly dated domestic situations in this book make “Leave it to Beaver” seem shocking and outrageous by comparison. It is a little hard to take, and gets in the way of the author’s message, as if the only choices were between stultifying conventionality or communism.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical romantic story with a punch!

A really good read. Postwar - set in New York in the 1950s. Reading it, I became aware of the dangersppl of subtle propaganda and the importance of critical thinking about everything we read and hear. That we should be aware of the agenda behind news broadcasts and magazine articles and view them with positive and critical realism rather than negative and irrational reaction. It seems these days that news channels are chasing ratings ergo advertising dollars and resort to sensationalising and the book made me more aware to look for both sides of the story!

[Smiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea that a homemaker (Peggy) could have a Ph.D. on Marcel Proust. Her husband Jon was a non philandering academic who looked out for both his wife and sister-in-law, which I liked.

The villain was never any trouble to the main characters. Even when Rona Metford foolishly went to his house without telling anyone, I correctly guessed that he would never assault her. But I disliked Peggy's comment about women with hairy legs.The beginning was nice but later the story dragged a bit.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all of Helen MacInnes' books years ago. I was looking for something to read (even though I have about four other books started) and grabbed one off the bookshelf.

As others have noted, this is not her best work at all. The first half was a slog, but the action did pick up in the latter half.

[Reba Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cold war story that still entertains

The subject matter is quite dated. It's set in then1950s. The communist party is active in New York City . their objective obviously to conquer a he world with their preferred ideology Right thinking citizens must stand up to the threat.