A terrific novel of echoing sadness -- Julian Barnes It's simply a novel about a guy who goes to college and becomes a teacher. But its one of the most fascinating things that you've ever come across -- Tom Hanks * Time * I was stunned by it... beautifully written in simple but brilliant prose, a novel of an ordinary life, an examination of a quiet tragedy, the work of a great but little-known writer * Guardian * One of the great unheralded 20th century American novels...Almost perfect -- Bret Easton Ellis One of the great forgotten novels of the past century. I have bought at least 50 copies of it in the past few years, using it as a gift for friends. It is universally adored by writers and readers alike...so beautifully paced and cadenced that it deserves the status of classic * Guardian * A beautiful, sad, utterly convincing account of an entire life... I'm amazed a novel this good escaped general attention for so long -- Ian McEwan A brilliant, beautiful, inexorably sad, wise, and elegant novel * The Believer * Something rarer than a great novel -- it is a perfect novel, so well told and beautifully written, so deeply moving, that it takes your breath away...few stories this sad could be so secretly triumphant, or so exhilarating. * New York Times * A beautiful and moving novel, as sweeping, intimate and mysterious as life itself -- Geoff Dyer The most extraordinary work of fiction I've read in a long time... If you're looking for a book that's simple and subtle, warmly human and at the same time utterly pitiless in his rendition of the vicissitudes of an ordinary existence, here's one you will read again and again * New Statesman * Unquestionably one of the finest novels of the 20th century, its genius lies in its candour and in prose that simmers with subtle intent. * Irish Times * The word-of-mouth hit of the summer. Read it and you'll see why * Daily Telegraph * It's as if this novel is about all of us: our hopes, disappointments and sorrows... a lesson in values, told with love and awe -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail * A wonderful novel, rich and sombre, a record of pain and less but also of moments of vision and tenderness... flawless -- Adam Foulds * Independent *