“The recent revival of this amiably brilliant man’s writing is in large part due to the efforts of the translator Len Rix and the Pushkin Press. . . An utterly charming Shakespearean masquerade unfolds, in which Oliver VII plays the role of a charlatan who is playing the role of Oliver VII. . . It seems impossible that Szerb’s wit, his intelligence and his generosity could be preserved in a book written in the midst of the fanatical hatreds that would consume him. But then, it’s a small miracle that we have so many books available from this gentle giant of European letters.” - The Wall Street Journal
“Szerb belongs with the master novelists of the 20th century.” – Paul Bailey, Daily Telegraph
“[T]here is more to it than fable. It actually has much in common with Journey by Moonlight: the flight from identity, the alleys of Venice, the choices that must be made between duty and pleasure, or between two women. And it has its comedy, too.” – Nicholas Lezard, Guardian
“A writer of immense subtlety and generosity, with an uncommonly light touch which masks its own artistry. His novels transform farce into poetry, comic melancholy into a kind of self-effacing grace… Antal Szerb is one of the great European writers.” – Ali Smith
