The gold standard of English wit … There is not, and never will be, anything to touch him Christopher Hitchens

It's dangerous to use the word genius to describe a writer, but I'll risk it with him John Humphrys

Not only the funniest English novelist who ever wrote but one of our finest stylists

[A] witty Thirties novel… Great fun

In the tradition of British writing about India, this novel is a rich, unexpected variation, and a considerable addition

This is a brilliant evocation of the teeming back streets and bazaars of Delhi and the gulf between Indian life and western logic

With his constant switching of viewpoint, tense and emphasis, Parks, an extremely skilful storyteller, makes sure the novel's intensity never falters

An engaging story

This probably won't get within a bull's roar of the Booker shortlist. It should.The complexities of Dreams of Rivers and Seas are not the product of contrivance, but simply those of experience

A love story (or rather several love stories), an oblique and engrossing mystery, but above all a story about language and its limitations

Ambitious and compelling

In his latest novel, Parks demonstrates a seemingly effortless mastery of biochemistry...a fast paced thriller with sex and relationships at its heart

Entirely convincing. He is a highly skilful writer and this is an absorbing story

Parks competently handles the themes of secrecy and communication