"Brilliant. . . . [Sillitoe] has assured himself a place in the history of the English novel."–
The New Yorker "That rarest of all finds: a genuine no-punches-pulled, unromanticised working class novel. Mr. Sillitoe is a born writer, who knows his milieu and describes it with vivid, loving precision."–
Daily Telegraph "Sillitoe's account of the rebellious young factory-fodder hero Arthur Seaton was timely when first published. . . . It is timeless now."–
The Guardian "One of the best English writers of the day." –
The New York Times Book Review "There are few writers around who can rival Sillitoe when it comes to the complicated business of noticing things." –
Literary Review "A master storyteller." –
The Observer "Miles nearer the real thing than D.H. Lawrence's mystic, brooding working-men ever came."–
Sunday Express "Outspoken and vivid."–
Sunday Times, London
