THE WRETCH is a dark psychological tale that traces the events in the life of collegiate freshman Brian Hespers. Like a moth that restlessly flutters first to one light & then another, he is attracted to both the physical & the spiritual. He wants to lead a typical life, yet before he makes the attempt he must know the meaning of life. When at last he discovers it, he is guilty of a moral crime against the angelic Theresa, a transgression that forces him to seek the most severe retribution. With this supreme effort, O'Neal exposes the depth of a man's soul with a clarity & thoroughness that equals any by Dostoyevsky & Tolstoy.