Observatory Mansions

Simply the best Gothic fantasy of the new century. This first novel by Edward Carey… is stunning in its use of a dark fantasy atmosphere even though, as in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books, nothing fantastical happens… [ The beauty of the prose, and the clear yet gothic quality of the narration gave me the chills.I must confess that the novel got under my skin and moved me deeply…In all ways that count, Observatory Mansions is a major work. I consider it the best fiction yet published in the 21st century.Jeff Van der Meer

Edward Carey is one of the strangest writers we are privileged to have in this country. There are echoes in his work of other great idiosyncratics from Angela Carter to Russell Hoban, but he supersedes even them in the downright oddity of his mind.Observer

Edward Carey has an imagination of tremendous range and power. He transforms the familiar stuff of life in shapes utterly strange and marvellous. This is a novel of truly startling originality.Patrick McGrath

A dense, funny, sad and provocative novel with a surprising ending that suggests a common humanity after all.Washington Post