Although the scientific lessons are usually models of clarity, they sometimes bog down in detail, and her breeziness is sometimes irritating. More serious are the scientific mistakes and confusing discussions that pepper the book. The book's interest lies less in its autobiographical than in its biographical sections . . . A flawed but intermittently fascinating memoir. A dozen stories are tinny potboilers of very small pots . . .
Most writers are good at depicting either intricate social ambiguities or more primitive urges.
A voice so original and contemporary that the novel largely slips away from the shadow of her parents . . . And that's in the face of the challenging construction Arnott sets himself . . . A 60's gangster novel with a compelling plot, poignant characters and plenty of wit.