To be honest I wasn't expecting such a dark and fast-paced story. Although I've read other works by McCullers this one made me feel way more disturbed than usual.

It's amazing how the scenes are vividly set with few words. Even when it's night the immersion of the reader is almost instantaneous. McCullers has a way with scenery that always gets me by surprise, because the way she writes feels lazy and even accidental sometimes.

On the other hand, I felt that some of the characters echoes others from 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter'. Even though they are not the same, it seems that some are like another side of the same person. For example, Ellgee Williams - one of the main characters - echoes Singer (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter). Maybe the fact that this book was published only a year after THLH is one of the reasons why the similarity between characters is so strong.

Now the story... I can't even imagine how can anyone go as deep as McCullers. I truly felt that my heart would sink at the end of the story. She has the ability of working with themes that are usually considered chocking and make them exactly what they are: simple. Instead of making a big drama out of sexual desire and relationships, she shows how common are all these feelings and sad conflicts that people avoid. This story brings to the surface inner feelings that many like to pretend they don't have, and it shows the damage all this blindness to our true selves can cause.

This is definitely not a book for people who seek a fast but light story. For those who want to dive in the deep corners of the human heart, this is one of the best calls.