Entry E — Richard Frede

Entry E, first published in 1958, is a noir thriller set on a fictional Ivy League campus in the 1950s. Set in residence hall “Entry E,” the novel follows Ed Bogard, an average student who becomes aware of an unsavory plan: A group of men in his hall are preparing to drug a visiting college girl over the weekend with grain alcohol and benzedrine, a date-rape mix allowing the men to take advantage of the defenseless young woman. Bogard agonizes over the best course of action and whether or not to take steps to stop his fellow students. The novel is enlivened by the author's attention to detail: the dress of the times, the campus weather, the important football game, and the cafeteria conversations. Author Richard Frede (1934-2004), a Yale University graduate, wrote a number of novels and screenplays.