Sachs has developed an extraordinary modern novel about a complex theme. It deals with human relationships, and it is supported by some very well drawn characters. Jeff, insecure, insensitive, and egotistical, can see a relationship only in terms of domineering and self-centeredness. But the author does not simply make him a villain. By showing us his problems at home with his mother, we gain an understanding of his attitudes and mind set. The same is true for Ellen; we see why she is a fat slob, and how her family has helped make her what she is.

The sort of relationship that Jeff and Ellen have is often found in adult literature. The best known treatment of the theme is probably Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion (1913) about a professor of linguistics who tries to change the personality and life of a poor, uneducated young girl by teaching...