Postcards from Pinsk

In his fourth book Duberstein ( Carnovsky's Retreat ) presents a memorable portrait of Orrin Summers, 59-year-old Boston psychiatrist, world- class kvetch. Orrin is beguiling, but he wears his heart and his soul on his sleeve, and constantly complains that both are being bruised by people who ought to love him. The novel covers the year following Orrin's divorce, a divorce he vehemently opposed as he loves his wife, has always loved her, will always love her. Orrin has a roaring case of reality denial and his professional expertise in delving into the misery of others is of no help in dealing with his own. Orrin pushes friends and family too far, hiding his emotional neediness with sarcasm and witty repartee. To assuage his loneliness Orrin finds a roommate--a liberal, workaholic, male lawyer. The relationship, at first sustaining, ends as badly as has his marriage. This ironic depiction of a man binging on self-destruction is comic and sad and entirely believable. (May)