FICTION : FINDING BRENDAN <i> by Philip F. O’Conner (Summit Books: $19.95; 220 pp.)</i>

Brendan is a teen-age boy with Down’s syndrome. His story is told by other people, just as in reality the lives of mentally handicapped people are interpreted by others because they’re unable to speak for themselves. One chapter does try to speak from Brendan’s point of view, and another from an ignorant black man’s point of view. These are weak points in the narrative, as they don’t quite ring true. Yet the best chapters are those told by Beatrice, also mentally retarded. She loves Brendan, and together the two of them discover their sexuality. The struggles of people who must try to cope with life when they aren’t capable of talking care of themselves are set forth thoughtfully. The misery of institutional life, from the point of view of the patients, is also effectively captured.