Nice quick page-turner after Don Quixote. I love how Condon writes, and was surprised that this was written in 1959 because it definitely has a post-Beat edge. Lots of good prose, but not so much as to prevent the narrative from unfolding at a good clip. The only thing I didn't quite understand was the mother's relationship with the communists - I missed something somewhere there. The women are all a little schematic, and indeed I'd say most of the characters are a little sketchy. But the story was great and the book offers a lot of insight into American politics, among other things. A very, very good read for me.