Oates is one of the great writers of our age. Her works do tend to be dark however.
This is no exception.
This is no exception.
(From Library Journal) ... fairly straightforward narrative ... Constructed on a more intimate scale ..., it is a stark, well-drawn portrait of the title character told in "scenes from the life" style, from Marya's early days of poverty, her life as an abandoned child raised by an aunt and uncle, through hard-won college success and an academic career. Marya's development and her innermost fears and insecurities are revealed in a very personal, almost autobiographical manner.
