...Morris has created an atmospheric St Petersburg and a stylish set of intellectual problems, but what makes A Gentle Axe such an effective debut is its fascination with good and evil. It has earned its author the right to make use of the work of a greater writer.

Congratulations, Roger!

Emma

Marvellous, Roger - very well done!!

A
xxx

Oh no! I might have to start reading it before the end of the month. If I don't meet my writing target, I'm holding you responsible, Roger.

Good stuff, good stuff

JB

It has earned its author the right to make use of the work of a greater writer.

As a fan of Dostoyevsky, this was my main reason for not buying A Gentle Axe. How could anyone steal from the master? Sacrilege!

However, there I was in Waterstone's this morning, clutching The Thorn Birds and Shogun, about to make my way to the till, and there it was on the New Fiction shelves. And so, I relented. I bought a copy. I'm putting it into my reading schedule next, after I've finished Force 10 From Naverone.

Blimey! That's great, Roger.

Great review, Roger. Well done.

Jim

Well done Roger. That's a great review. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Naomi R

<Added>

Reading the book I mean!

Crikey - only just seen this thread! Thanks Emma for highlighting it. I have to say I was delighted with this review. I was wondering if the TLS would review it, and I thought if they did they would take the high ground and give me flak. So this was better than I could have hoped for. Others have been less tolerant of my cheek.

One other review I was very pleased with ran in the Independent last Wednesday (they picked me as the Wednesday book). It was written by Virginia Rounding, who is the biographer of Catherine the Great. She's a bit of a Russian expert and knows St P very well (and she speaks Russian) - anyhow she came down in my favour too. So I was pleased about that.

Interesting info - Virginia contacted me through myspace where she had seen the book and said she would be interested in reviewing it. Myspace works in mysterious ways.

<Added>

Oh and thanks to everyone who has bought the book, especially Gulliver and other Dostoevsky purists. It's very good of you indeed to overcome your quite natural scruples.