Mr Peake's first novel holds one with its glittering eye - It has a genuine plot in the strictest sense, and it persuades you to read on simply in order to know what will happen - its gallery of characters is wonderful

A gorgeous volcanic eruption... A work of extraordinary imagination

The Gormenghast Trilogy is one of the most important works of the imagination to come out of [this] age

Probably the best nonfiction he [Rushdie] has written in years... Rushdie is happy to record just what he sees and feels. You sense that he has arrived somewhere new...a sign of good things to come.

Rushdie's writing is erudite and full of sympathy, brimming with insight and wit . . . Fans will be delighted . . . [A] mesmerizing collection.

Wide-ranging nonfiction pieces by the distinguished novelist, unified by his commitment to artistic freedom and his adamant opposition to censorship in any form . . . Formidably erudite, engagingly passionate, and endlessly informative: a literary treat.

Enchanting reading... Rushdie is worth listening to.