Author:Hubert Selby Jr.
Fat Phil can't lose at dice, even when his friends turn nasty and he's trying his hardest; a salesman finds success comes from fortune cookie mottoes, but panics when these mottoes turn against him; a date goes so perfectly a man talks himself out of ever seeing the woman again; a commuter finds himself obsessed with a plain young woman on his train, at the expense of his marriage. In this collection of short stories, Hubert Selby Jr. plunges the reader into the violent, passionate worlds of his protagonists and captures perfectly the delicate balance between joy and despair.
We believe Selby's characters and will never forget them. Selby has written from the gut with great compassion
—— The NationSelby's place is in the front rank of American novelists ... to understand his work is to understand the anguish of America
—— New York Times Book ReviewSelby brings a scorching light to a limited area of human existence, which most people know of but do not know
—— NewsweekThese stories are rich in Murakami magic... a collection that all readers will enjoy
—— IndependentSharp but humane observation...as unforgettable as it is untypical
—— New StatesmanAlthough Murakami's style and deadpan humour are wonderfully distinctive, his emotional territory is more familiar - remorse, unresolved confusion, sudden epiphanies - though heightened by the surreal... For all its peculiarity, Planet Murakami offers a recognisable landscape of our fears
—— ObserverDisarming, amusing and reveals his lightness of touch
—— Scotland on SundayA beguiling collection that shows off Murakami's bold inventiveness and deep compassion
—— MetroMurakami is excellent at creating an intense mood in a swift few lines... always provocative and never less than engaging
—— Daily TelegraphBy turns disturbing and delightful, funny strange and funny ha-ha...Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a handsome volume of prose, every bit as substantial as a novel...They show him at his very best; not as a cult novelist but as a really first-rate writer of short fiction
—— GuardianFunny but also sad and wise
—— Sunday TelegraphMurakami’s fictional world is extraordinary.
—— The Sunday TimesJulian Barnes reminds us what an exhilarating experience it can be to read a really good critic.
—— Jane Shilling , Sunday TelegraphA compulsive page-turner.
—— Tim Adams , ObserverBarnes’s passion for his writers is infectious.
—— Ion Trewin , Sunday ExpressBlissfully intelligent.
—— Roger Lewis , Financial TimesThe temptation to turn away is powerful, but the rewards for resisting it are considerable. These essays combine a scholarly breadth of knowledge with a powerful sense of the absurdities of the creative life.
—— Jane Shilling , Sunday TelegraphThrough the Window is a wonderful and very interesting collection of essays that rewards close, and also measured, reading.
—— Brendan Wright , NudgeA masterclass display of versatility... mood and style in these richly concise, crisply written pieces are confidently varied, too... adding vitality to the virtuosity is a terrific ear for idiomatic speech
—— Peter Kemp , Sunday TimesA writer who reveals the power of the short story to speak for our time
—— Irish TimesO’Connor is a gifted storyteller… [He] has a wonderful ear for dialogue and is a master of the telling phrase
—— Brian Maye , Irish TimesThis collection is beautiful; full of pure, simple truths that linger long in the mind
—— Philip Womack , New Humanist