The triangle of deeply believable characters and the story of betrayal and revenge are so engrossing that you almost fail to notice the usual Barnesian fusillade of wit and brilliance

The real wonder of this book is its apparent simplicity, its apparent slowness, the exactness and delicacy of its observations, the absolute firness of the form for the story. Of its kind - and I still don't dare to say what that kind might be - it's perfect

This wonderfully entertaining novel... A work as skilled and satisfying as this can be nothing other than affirming: Barnes' delicate balance between laughter and despair lifts his entertainment into art

Warm and funny

This is a strange, beguiling novel, which combines madcap adventure with reflections on trust, affection and individual spiritual life

The Elephant Keepers' Children is, on its own terms, a serene and cheerful and beautifully constructed tale...it has just that extra nudge of extravagant, humorous implausibility which undeniably removes it from realism

Høeg's sense of humour is wonderful, and his Homeric laughter unfolds over the madhouse that he constructs

There is lots of action, humour, satire and spirituality in Peter Høeg's thriller

A comic, extravagant romp that will leave the reader both bewildered and endeared at once