Author:William S. Burroughs
A fascinating mix of autobiographical episodes and extraordinary Egyptian theology, Burroughs's final novel is poignant and melancholic. Blending war films and pornography, and referencing Kafka and Mailer, The Western Lands confirms his status as one of America's greatest writers. The final novel of the trilogy containing Cities of the Red Night and The Place of Dead Roads, this is a profound meditation on morality, loneliness, life and death.
A vibrant tombola of stories...each a commute-friendly 20-or-so pages long.
—— Time OutAn excellent mix of stories - some dark and mysterious, others heart-warming and thought-provoking.
—— Good Housekeeping (Reader Recommended)Harris is an intriguing writer, so this is worth a punt, if only to savour the seasonal horror of the story about a house where it's Christmas all year round.
—— The LadyStrongly plotted and written in registers that are variously comical, sad and surreal...Best of all is 'Cookie', where delicious gluttony - Harris's forte - gathers a sharp note of menace.
—— IndependentHarris inhabits a world where fantasy and reality collide in a most inventive way to produce a series of delightful, bittersweet yarns.
—— BellaHer writing is sensuous, radical and uncannily perceptive
—— The TimesIndia's finest writer in English
—— IndependentShe is one of the best English language novelists of modern times
—— Daily TelegraphAmple proof of her pre-eminent brilliance in the short form…her acute probing of malfunctioning relationships are both provocative and highly entertaining
—— James Urquhart , Financial TimesI found her stories just as hard to put down as I used to; and repeated exposure to them just makes one appreciate the artistry even more… Simpson keeps her eyes open to what is around her, as well as to what is within her characters. It's the kind of detail that makes us wish she would hurry up so that we can read her thoughts about what's going on right now, the precise contours of our present anxieties. I suspect that she will have much to say, and be able to say it very well
—— Nicholas Lezard , GuardianA compact insight into the acclaimed writers work
—— Big IssueSimpson, to my mind, is one of the best contemporary chroniclers of womanhood that I’ve read. She manages to get under the skin of her characters in a way that makes you feel you know them and completely understand their anxieties, at each point in their lives
—— Bookbag.co.ukShe’s a genius at noticing and listening
—— Andrew O'Hagan , Scotland on SundayUnexpected tales, perfectly pitched…suggesting Simpson sprand fully formed when she began writing
—— Lesley McDowell , Sunday HeraldThe great thing about Helen Simpson – or one of the great things – is that she pins people down so beautifully…her phrases sparkle
—— William Leith , Evening StandardSimpson's meticulous fragments of contemporary self-delusion make beautiful narrative shapes out of the ordinary horrors of domestic life
—— John Mullan , Guardian