Odd Girl Out Audiobook By Ann Bannon cover art

Odd Girl Out

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles

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Odd Girl Out

By: Ann Bannon
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
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She was the brain, the sparkle, the gay rebel of the sorority, and wonder of wonders, she chose Laura as her roommate. That was how it began. Suddenly they were alone on an island of forbidden bliss…. Here is the first novel in the Beebo Brinker Chronicles, the classic 1950s love stories from the queen of lesbian fiction. "Odd Girl Out begins the saga of Laura, off on her own at college, appallingly shy and terminally polite. Laura meets Beth, whose brash straightforwardness and friendly attitude take the younger woman by storm, leading into an equally stormy affair." —Metro Times

©2001 Cleis Press (P)2011 Cleis Press Contemporary Contemporary Romance LGBTQIA+ Creators LGBTQIA+ Essentials Literature & Fiction Romance

Critic reviews

"For contemporary readers the books offer a valuable record of gay and lesbian life in the 1950s. Most are set in Greenwich Village, and Ms. Bannon's descriptions of bars, clubs and apartment parties vividly evoke a vanished community. Her characters also have historical value. Whereas most lesbians in pulp are stereotypes who get punished for their desires, Beebo and her friends are accessibly human. Their struggles with love and relationships are engrossing today, and half a century ago they were revolutionary." ( New York Times)
"Little did Bannon know that her stories would become legends, inspiring countless fledgling dykes to flock to the Village, dog-eared copies of her books in hand, to find their own Beebos and Lauras and others who shared the love they dared not name." ( San Francisco Bay Guardian)

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Beebo Brinker Audiobook By Ann Bannon cover art
Beebo Brinker By: Ann Bannon
Beautifully Written Book • Compelling Story • Complex Characters • Thoughtful Conclusion • Strong Protagonist
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Compleat characters and a compelling story with a thoughtful conclusion. I would recomend this book.

A fling or away of life?

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15 years after discovering this book it's still one of my favorites it's still one of my favorites. I love the story it's extremely powerful and it speaks to me.

I love it!

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This is the first book in the Beebo Brinker series, written in the 1950’s by a 22-year-old Philadelphia housewife who wrote about what it would be like to be experimenting with sexual freedom in a sorority in 1957. This was the beginning of the genre of lesbian pulp fiction, and this book in particular has been re-published several times since then and has remained a best seller. Even today, much of it seems very relevant. Last re-published in print by Kleis Press in 2002 with an instructive Foreward by the author. Laura is a new shy freshman who pledges a sorority and is picked by an older sorority girl to be her roommate. Beth has given up on finding a man who will interest her for very long and mostly doesn’t date anymore. Laura has an immediate crush on her and they start an affair. But Beth also becomes re-acquainted with Charlie, and they find themselves falling in love. Beth is trapped between her two loves, and the rigid sorority life of the 1950’s. A very good book, and Kate Rudd does a wonderful job narrating the book.

1st in the Beebo Brinker series.

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What a beautifully written book. A book about self-discovery and a coming to be, a coming of age in some ways. But in others, not, as precondition and bias take their toll. Two wonderful souls do discover themselves for who they are, but the third element fails self-discovery. It is incomplete. Much more needs to be learned. Much more needs to be sorted out. More needs to be written. Performance is good, but is spoken slightly too quickly. Had to slow it down to .8 speed to truly enjoy it.

Love triangle.

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What did you love best about Odd Girl Out?

Spoil Alert***********************That Laura declares loud and proud that she is "Queer" and leaves for New York without Beth, That Laura says to 1950's society, you be damn, I can never marry a man, be with a man, I there for must leave this farce and make my way as best as I can no matter what my family thinks, what society thinks, what lumps society hands ,me I must be true to myself. OK so it was a little Payton Place story and Beth stays for Charlie, but Laura had the gut to know enough to leave.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Laura, she come off as child like at first, but as the story goes along you find out she is the strong one in the story. I liked her best.

What about Kate Rudd’s performance did you like?

Good tone, good inflection, Good dramatic pauses, Just good over all reading of the book. And a pleasant voice.

If you could rename Odd Girl Out, what would you call it?

The old story, He gets her in the end.

Any additional comments?

I got so tried of lesbian stories written before 1975 that either end with one of the woman in the arms of a man, or with the one of the woman killing themselves or both. It's like you can't have a happy lesbian while one girl does end up in the arms of a guy, the other isn't suicidal in fact you kind of feel hopeful Hopeful for her. And since this is book one in the Bebo Beeker series the novel follow Laura into New York. I kind can't wait to listen to the rest of the series. I read Odd Girl Out and Bebo Beeker years ago back in the 1980's. But I didn't realize they were part of a series. And I read them a bit apart. I thought they were OK but in the mid/early 80 there were a lot of good author to choose from. Not as many as now but I remember reading Rita Mae Brown, Claire McNab, and Sandra Dryer like they were gold. Brown actually wrote books like In Her Day Ruby Fruit Jungle and her best novel Six of One. Which is Awesome. Then she decided to write real novels. Whatever that means. But if you haven't read Six of One find an old copy because it's out of print and enjoy.

Good story for a 50's pulp novel.

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Placed in a time that i would know nothing about as being gay is illegal and shows the difference and heartache of the times. I enjoyed the book.

Very Interesting story

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The story is very 50s Early 60s. All the emotions and beliefs of that time are very realistic. But as a “survivor “ of those years, I still strongly chafe at the male dominance that was simply an expectation of those days: guys blocking the doors, grabbing your arms and ignoring your words. The author did a good apologetic for all that in the intro though so I had to give the story a 4.

Can’t really give it the ALL fives

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I wish I had found this book on my drug store shelves 45 years ago. It would have changed my world.
The discovery and coming to terms with your own sexual preferences and those of the people who share your life is tough in any era. Peel away the overlay generations societal expectations and you are left dealing with the feeling of not being normal and fear of being treated negatively.
I would recommend speed reading through three non Beth/Laur sections.

Holds up well for being a 50 year old piece of pulp fiction

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If your hesitant about getting this book don't be it's a beautiful story. With a delicious love triangle whose effects will be explored as they continue to affect Laura's and Beth's life long after the romance is over. I got to see Laura mature from an uncertain confused young girl and begin her journey to become a women.

Falling in love and growing up

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Laura is a young lass at collage where she meets the lovely Beth feelings and a few other things are explored but I wont spoil it for you ,this was written in the fifty's by the brilliant Ann Bannon who also introduces the book,some how make's it timeless, maybe it's just love and broken hearts that are timeless ( sigh ) . It is a time warp and I enjoyed it thoroughly .

Odd Girl in

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