Large, complex, ambitious, humming with energy and ideas... A remarkable achievement

Comic, well plotted, immensely touching... Gaudy excitement and splendour

An ambitious novel [whose] narrative everywhere displays knowledge and intelligence

In this novel, ordinary people - in this case primarily Caribbean women - display the extraordinary creativity and persistence in the face of life's challenges that's exemplary of Caribbean culture. It is near impossible to fully appreciate the artistic and political merits of James' later work without having read Minty Alley's vivid description of Trinidadian subaltern life

A novel written nearly a hundred years ago that brings the past alive with such charm, vitality and humour

Deservedly, James's work is undergoing a revival . . . The strength and value of the ordinary man is a through line in James's diverse body of work, and nowhere is this interest more evident than in Minty Alley

Light-hearted, comic, occasionally sobering, always engrossing, the novel is a lovely and captivating read

'Ground-breaking... [A] fictional masterpiece

The book should be read by everyone who wishes to learn about early Caribbean life and who would like a deeper understanding of this author of masterpieces

Odd and unsettling, this might not be for everyone, but we thought it was magic.

Dark and magical, one of the best books I've read this year.

A fairytale, a psychological portrait and a bleak drama.

A brilliant and sinister debut.

Beautiful, strange . . . hideously dark, delights in unsettling.

Creepy and disturbing right from the start.

A disturbing but brilliant narrative . . . a rare treat.

A great tapestry of busy-ness . . . Walter's descriptive passage are marvellous