A taut, chilling novel that plumbs the depths of human degradation, this is the story of Lester Ballard--a violent, dispossessed man, falsely accused of rape--who haunts the hill country of East Tennessee when he is released from jail, preying on the population with his strange lusts. Out of print since 1984. \nIn this taut, chilling novel, Lester Ballard--a violent, dispossessed man falsely accused of rape--haunts the hill country of East Tennessee when he is released from jail.While telling his story, Cormac McCarthy depicts the most sordid aspects of life with dignity, humor, and characteristic lyrical brilliance.