This book reads like a thriller. Yalom cuts to the quick about what it is to be a human being. A nice man, and happily flawed like the rest of us.

Affection and humour. An early Theroux, but so perfect. The best first page in modern fiction.

Forget the title and the boring cover. EVERY human being should have this book. You will never feel safer. Gilbert is a genius (and writes like an angel).

Suspend your disbelief about this one. It will take an hour to read, but you may read it twenty times. The presentation of this subject is revolutionary.

Combine piercing tragedy with poignancy and delicacy and this is what you get. A true masterpiece.

Burgess's earliest trilogy and easily his best. I hate using the word funny, but this is how real writers do it. Rejoice.

Vulnerable characters to truly love. Infinite layers of subtlety and humanity. And such wry humour to go with it.

When is a life that's tragically out of control so side-splittingly funny? How does McGuane do it? Essential.

Steamy South Carolina drips off these pages. And these are characters you want to marry.

Boyd (and Theroux) can write women like Shields can write men. Boyd at his stunning best.

Chilling and will induce shuddering. Metcalfe homes in on Nazi Germany like you've never seen it done before.

80 Chapters, one for each room of the hotel. Read one of these each night. Then fall asleep with a smile on your face, while marvelling at how anyone can write this well.

Do try and find this in whatever version you can. Astonishing in its atmosphere of pre-Hitler Germany. And what fabulous characters!