"'The funniest book I've read all year... it's a riot... Novelists in Professor Sutherland's hands are, above all, lively company' (Evening Standard) 'FT Books of the Year: The fruit of decades of reading and research... A witty, and enjoyably wide-ranging book.' (Carl Wilkinson, FT) 'Sutherland is perfect for this job - all pith and wit... He has made a tricky job look easy' (The Dubliner)"

John Sutherland is Emeritus Lord Northcliffe Professor of English Literature at University College London. Twice on the Booker committee, in 2005 as chairman, he is a regular columnist and critic on radio and television. His books include How to Read a Novel (Profile) [9781861979865], a bestselling trilogy on literary mysteries, and the moving memoir Last Drink to LA.