`It is always a pleasure to read a tale well told. The pleasure is all the greater when the tale is preceded by a lucid, informative introduction ... revised and updated ... the notes have been condensed, rephrased and in certain cases brought up to date ... the select bibliography ... is more comprehensive and better organized, including screenplays and essays by Vailland ... The edition is therefore to be commended for its impressive quality of accuracy and research into Roger Vailland's life and works. It should prove to be of great value to the pupil studying the novel as a prescribed text at A-level, to the university undergraduate, and to anyone interested in the work of one of the most accomplished story-tellers of the twentieth century.' - The Modern Language Review