Books, Arts & Manners: That Lovely Couple

Hellman and Hammett, by Joan Mellen (HarperCollins, 572pp., $32)

LOVE on the Left tends to validate the adage, “For every old sock there’s an old shoe.” Lillian Hellman was no oil painting, though Louis Kronenberger always said she looked like Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington; another man imagined that making love to her “would be like going to bed with Justice Frankfurter.” Thwarted at being desirable by a clock-stopping face, narrow hips, and no derrière to speak of, she settled for being available.

About the Author

Florence King

Florence King was a contributing editor of National Review.

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Hellman and Hammett, by Joan Mellen (HarperCollins, 572pp., $32)

LOVE on the Left tends to validate the adage, “For every old sock there’s an old shoe.” Lillian Hellman was no oil painting, though Louis Kronenberger always said she looked like Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington; another man imagined that making love to her “would be like going to bed with Justice Frankfurter.” Thwarted at being desirable by a clock-stopping face, narrow hips, and no derrière to speak of, she settled for being available.