▁in ▁which ▁the ▁ren owned ▁zo ologist ▁prop ounds ▁his ▁theories ▁and ▁his ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁audience . ▁Still ▁a ▁vir gin , ▁he ▁makes ▁Kin sey ’ s ▁acquaint ance ▁when ▁the ▁latter ▁inter views ▁him ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁“ sex ▁history ”. ▁Kin sey ▁makes ▁Mil k ▁his ▁personal ▁assistant ▁despite ▁his ▁in ex per ience , ▁but ▁he ▁turns ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁quick ▁lear ner , ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁young ▁man ▁becomes ▁the ▁first ▁member ▁of ▁what ▁will ▁be ▁“ the ▁inner ▁circle ” : ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁men ▁( and , ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁point , ▁also ▁their ▁w ives ) ▁who ▁fur iously ▁collabor ate ▁under ▁Kin sey ’ s ▁dict atorial ▁rule ▁towards ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁volumes ▁later ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Kin sey ▁Report . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁in ▁The ▁Inner ▁Circle ▁Alfred ▁Kin sey ▁– ▁Professor ▁conduct ing ▁studies ▁of ▁sex ▁at ▁college ▁Mil k ▁att ends ▁Clara ▁Bra cken ▁Kin sey ▁– ▁Alfred ' s ▁wife ▁John ▁Mil k ▁– ▁Kin sey ' s ▁assistant ▁and ▁protagon ist ▁I ris ▁Mil k ▁– ▁John ' s ▁wife ▁ ▁Liter ary ▁significance ▁and ▁criticism ▁While ▁the ▁novel ▁gar ner ed ▁generally ▁favor able ▁reviews , ▁some ▁review ers ▁and ▁readers ▁consider ▁The ▁Inner ▁Circle ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁Bo yle ’ s ▁less er ▁nov els . ▁The ▁critic isms ▁generally ▁c ite ▁slow - mov ing ▁and ▁somewhat ▁predict able ▁plot