Ruth Scurr

The TLS reviewer, Ruth Scurr , used as yardstick for this novel Kipling 's writings about his parallel childhood trauma and experience of evil (related in the story Baa Baa Black Sheep).

Ruth Scurr in the Telegraph judged EJH to be as impressive a writer as ever in this novel, and instanced her handling of dialogue among children.Lettie Ransley in the Guardian wrote that this was...

Ruth Scurr , reviewing this book for the Times Literary Supplement, detected in its first paragraph a flash of the steely impatience that MSdirects at flawed humanity. While most reviews were respectful,...

Ivy Compton-Burnett , who always disliked religious sentiment and religious writing, was severe on MS . She described her early novels as Not at all good. . . . I don't like novels that tell...

This amazingly complex novel received very positive reviews in Britain. Helen Dunmore in The Times called the plot huge and vigorous and the novel rewarding, incisive and topical.Times Literary Supplement reviewer Ruth Scurr

Graham Greene wrote to tell Spark that this was her best book since Memento Mori (as he was to do with several later titles as well). Reviews were mixed, many sounding baffled. While admirers...