This is the book that really got me hooked on Jack Vance. Beforehand, I had read some of his earlier books, and was utterly astounded at the vocabulary and detail that goes into them, and Night Lamp surpassed any I had read at the time.
The book tells of the life of Jaro Fath, found half-dead as a child on a roadside on a harsh planet, and adopted by a husband and wife, to be taken to a new world where he can recover and live in peace. But as he grows up, Jaro wants more and more to discover more about his past, to do which he must venture into space in search of the planet from which he originated.
Nightlamp must be one of Vance's richest works, and has enough twists to keep anyone interested. Of course any fan can only love the book, it is quite an incredible work and in the end can only be regarded as a true work of art, and nothing less.