James Meek - The Heart Broke In

Scotsman“It is a book about goodness, that perennially misunderstood quality...” The book has a few weaknesses over its long stretch...But it’s an enjoyable, thought-provoking read, going beyond satire to throw the questions back to the reader: not just “what would you do?” but “how do you know that would be the right thi

The Observer“A readable addition to this justifiably acclaimed writer's oeuvre...” ...in a literary culture that rewards narrow little books by sixtysomething white men about what it's like to be a sixtysomething white man, Meek's range, humour and boldness are a joy...

The Independent“James Meek is Britain's answer to Don DeLillo...” The outcome is anything but obvious. Meek writes with taut control. The plot is dreamy, deceptive and allusive, packed with cues and clues...

Guardian“A novelist of Dostoevskyan intensity and seriousness...” The Heart Broke In is seldom less than compelling. It also has many terrific individual episodes...Overall, though, you have to admire the scope and ambition of this operatic saga - even if there are a few bum notes during the arias...

Publishers Weekly“Much to enjoy in this ambitious portrait...” The Dickensian coincidences on which the plot often turns can stretch our present-day credulity, in part because they’ve fallen out of fashion in contemporary literary fiction, in part because the rest of Meek’s novel is so bent on verisimilitude