I'm surprised this book isn't brought up much when people are asking for recommendations on a Bernhard book to start with because it's a shorter book but still written in his usual style. I think it particularly does a good job at describing the type of manic attachment you can feel towards someone after being in a period of isolation. I thought the last 1/3 of the book concluded abruptly and too tongue-in-cheek, but I still enjoyed it overall.