Just reviewed this (very positively) for the Telegraph. His Byron trilogy is marvellous, though not very characteristic of what he has gone on to write, which is more in the mould of Richard Ford/Richard Yates. Playing Days is an excellent book.

And Everybody Knows This is Nowhere before After the Gold Rush!

They could at least put it between the 'e' and the 's' to make an apostrophe. That would be a real Christmas treat.

Got it in one.

There's some lovely stuff about Amis and Money in a major forthcoming novel...

Ah thank you! You should definitely give him a go. Fireflies is one of the great twentieth century novels imho. And I didn't get to mention them, but the short stories are also brilliant.

I've been surprised by its reception, too. Lots of goodwill leftover from his last book, perhaps (though I thought that might have evaporated after the execrable film adaptation).

Great review, John! I was similarly unimpressed...
www.ft.com/content/2f95...

Isn't it wonderful!

Great review, John. I really liked 'Berlin', so I'm pleased to hear this one measured up.