"One of the greatest achievements of modern literature. -Richard Howard
"A major achievement . . . . Genet transforms experiences of degradation into spiritual exercises and hoodlums into bearers of the majesty of love. -Saturday Review
"Genet can use a brutal phraseology that makes prison life specific and immediate. Yet through his singular sensibility, these elements are transmuted into something fragile, rare, beautiful. -The New York Times
"This book recreates for the reader Genet's magic world, one of dazzling beauty charged with novelty and excitement. -Bettina Knapp
"Genet would have deserved international standing for this novel alone. . . . He succeeds to an amazing degree in creating poetry from the profoundest degradation. -The Times (London)