At first I thought this was the darkest book I've read. Then I realized it is the saddest one. There is a striking loneliness in this book. What seems to be a sheer piece of madness is actually an unquenchable longing for love and understanding. The lunatic actions terrified me at first but then I felt really sorry for this man who has been deprived of warmth and love for his whole life (first the mother, then the wife).
Although some people find the style repetitive, these recurring motifs and phrases provide the key to unlock the world of madness and delusion of the narrator.