'A major writer who ought to be read.' Malcolm Bradbury 'Sillitoe writes with tremendous energy, and his stories simply tear along.' Daily Telegraph 'Alan Sillitoe, the long-distance runner of English novelists, shows no signs of flagging' Evening Standard 'Our staunchest provincial realist...a muscled prose that's craftsman-like in its efficiency' Observer 'Graphic, tough, outspoken, informal' The Times 'His writing has real experience in it and an instinctive accuracy that never loses its touch.' Guardian 'One of Britain's most powerful and sophisticated fiction writers' Times Literary Supplement 'Very outspoken and vivid.' Sunday Times