"A worthy successor to Dr. Johnson’s
Lives of the Poets: John Sutherland is witty, incisive, idiosyncratic, and has the keenest of eyes for the telling detail. While recounting the stories of so many fascinating authors,
Lives of the Novelists also offers a memorable portrait of a critical life devoted to reading and writing."—James Shapiro, Professor of English, Columbia University (James Shapiro
Columbia University )
"John Sutherland is among the handful of critics whose every book I must have. He’s sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued, with a generous heart and a wise head. This self-assured and knowledgeable survey of novels in English is invaluable as both a reference work and, wonderfully, a book to savor."—Jay Parini (Jay Parini )
“An engaging book. . . erudite and entertaining, informative and provoking.”—Allan Massie, Wall Street Journal
(Allan Massie
Wall Street Journal )
“Tremendously exhilarating . . . you can read Sutherland for fun as well as for (cultural) profit. . . . Lives of the Novelists might look like an academic tome, but it reads like one of those unputdownable blockbusters you take to the beach.”—Michael Dirda, Washington Post
(Michael Dirda
Washington Post )
"This is one of the most delightful books of its kind I know. . . . there is so much acute intelligence, wit and wisdom in this epic shlep
through biographical vaudeville that scandal and outrage sit cheek by jowl with Freudian resonance and Johnsonian acuteness. . . . I think old Sam Johnson would be pleased that one of his descendants had written a reference book as engaging, shrewd, witty and irresistible to contemporary tastes as this one.”—Jeff Simon, Buffalo News
(Jeff Simon
Buffalo News )
“Sutherland's writing is just plain delightful . . . [and] the body of knowledge this book reflects is astounding. . . . It tells the story of the people who've told our culture's stories, high and low and otherwise, for 2-1/2 centuries.”—Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times
(Carolyn Kellogg
Los Angeles Times )
“Engaging”—Magan Szwarek, Booklist
(Magan Szwarek
Booklist )
"A tremendously exhilarating book . . . less a work of scholarship than it is a catalogue of pleasures . . . By its heft, Lives of the Novelists might look like an academic tome, but it reads like one of those unputdownable blockbusters you take to the beach."—Michael Dirda, Washington Post
(Michael Dirda
Washington Post )
“Sutherland excels with his unexpected inclusions. . . . consider passing copies along to friends who are readers . . . we’ve been offered a starting point for many hours of literary discussions.”—John McIntyre, Daily Beast
(John McIntyre
Daily Beast )
“This chatty, companionable, undogmatic tome . . . leaves one with the happy feeling that there are no human activities more worthwhile than writing and reading novels.”—New Yorker
(
New Yorker )
“This is a fabulous book—it's impossible to stop at just one biography.”—Marilyn Dahl, Shelf Awareness
(Marilyn Dahl
Shelf Awareness )
“Fleet-footed . . . bighearted . . . [Sutherland] revels in the short take, the darting, sonnet-like in-and-out, the lightning shifts and the abrupt and fitting close.”—Christopher Benfey, New York Times Book Review
(Christopher Benfey
New York Times Book Review )
"This is one of those books you can open to any page and start reading. . . . His publisher calls it 'opinionated,' and I call it a reference book that rocks."—Florence King, National Review
(Florence King
National Review )
“Sutherland’s book is at once far more entertaining, more informative, and more personal than the standard product. Everything in Sutherland comes with an edge.”—John Wilson, Commonweal
(John Wilson
Commonweal )
“Nibble at this large volume randomly, or gobble it up from beginning to end, and either way you'll come upon nuggets of wry humor. The tone is entertaining throughout [and] rich with anecdotes . . . and there's nary a wasted word.”—Susan K. Perry, Psychology Today
(Susan K. Perry
Psychology Today )
“Frequently observant, occasionally infuriating, consistently arresting”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic
(Benjamin Schwarz
The Atlantic )
