It tells the story of an enigmatic guest whose presence at an isolated resort hotel in Brittany strangely affects a small group of fellow vacationers.

[2] John Cournos of The Saturday Review wrote about the book in 1950: "Its matter is morbid, its prose overwrought, its range narrow; it is tedious.

"[3] In a more recent and appreciative commentary, Stephen Sparks writes that "A Dark Stranger, Julien Gracq’s second novel, is an unsettling allegory of the terrible fascination history exerts upon individuals caught up in its inexorable and merciless unfolding.

[...] While Gracq’s allusive, layered prose [...] has historically received the lion’s share of praise, his handling of plot is equally dexterous.

His reading of the aforementioned authors [Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne] was not wasted: A Dark Stranger is, in its singular way, as thrilling and breathless a story as the best page-turner.