Although the psychological reality of the book is authentic, the highly artificial style of the later Reve makes this book an oddity. It seems that Reve has wanted to tell a story about the way a common young man grew up and tried to come to terms with his homosexuality. Some talent for art, an office job the main character buys a property which faintly sparks sexual fantasies. Everyone is looked at with some suggestion that they might be gay as well. Looking at young man, this suspicion becomes more like a lustful wish. People's actions and presence are all explained through possible motivation either sexual or repressive, while repressive actions are also translated into masochistic feelings. Finally, one reason for the desire to own an additional property is to secure a place for illicit action, which exists in various forms in his mind, but which in reality could be very inextraordinary.

Despite Reve's odd style, which became very pronounced in his later works, Reve has a very compelling writing style, that ties the book in with his earlier style and the overall quality of his work. I would not recommend this book to readers new to the work of Gerard Reve. ( )