"A shocking book, morbid, full of repellant imagery–and irresistibly readable.... The effect achieved by McEwan's quiet, precise and sensuous touch is that of magic realism–a transfiguration of the ordinary that has far stronger retinal and visceral impact than the flabby surrealism of so many experimental novels." –
New York Review of Books "Possesses the suspense and chilling impact of
Lord of the Flies." –
Washington Post Book World "Darkly impressive." –
The Times "A superb achievement: his prose has instant, lucid beauty and his narrative voice has a perfect poise and certainty. His account of deprivation and survival is marvellously sure, and the imaginative alignment of his story is exactly right." –Tom Paulin
"Marvellously creates the atmosphere of youngsters given that instant adulthood they all crave, where the ordinary takes on a mysterious glow and the extraordinary seems rather commonplace. It is difficult to fault the writing or the construction of this eerie fable." –Sunday Times
"His writing is exact, tender, funny, voluptuous, disturbing." –
The Times
"The Maestro." –
New Statesman
"McEwan has–a style and a vision of life of his own...No one interested in the state and mood of contemporary Britain can afford not to read him." –John Fowles
"A sparkling and adventurous writer." –Dennis Potter
