Mary McCarthy: A Life

Carol Gelderman. St. Martin's Press, $12.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-312-03482-5

In the first comprehensive biography of the prominent American literary figure, ``Gelderman is particularly successful in balancing McCarthy's competitiveness, sharp tongue and relentless pen with her impulsiveness, generosity, charm, domesticity and friendliness,'' praised PW. Photos. (Nov.)

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