One's Company: The ABC's of Living Alone

Holland ( Secrets of the Cat ) seemingly never got over her divorce of some years ago. In a book so melancholic it's a downer, she reflects on the single state, offering such banalities as ``Doing is important. We are what we do.'' On the occasions when she does take an upbeat position, invariably she counters it with an ``on the other hand'' observation: she notes that solitaries have more opportunities for expanding their social circle, for example, then admits meeting people who aren't troubled is a problem. Solitaries--i.e., women without men--often don't understand the machinery of their surroundings, determines Holland, so she instructs them on how to repair a lock and change a fuse; because she thinks they don't eat properly, she offers recipes for dishes like tamale pie. Solitaries, Holland assumes, flounder, need ways to ``fasten themselves to the world,'' want guidance on how to make the afternoon pass. Those with time on their hands, however, would do better not to look to Holland to fill it. (June)