“[Our Noble Selves] mines delicious humor from this mismatch of grizzled cynicism and national heritage. . . . In part a workplace comedy, going behind the scenes to reveal the absurd politicking surrounding things such as the festival’s cake competition . . . Atkinson deserves to be rated as highly as her countryman Ian McEwan. Like him, she boasts an immaculate prose style, a dry wit and a taste for narrative legerdemain. This splendid historical farce proves her versatility as well.”
—Wall Street Journal
“Engrossing . . . So much fun to read . . . Atkinson’s signature gift as a historical writer is on display as she seamlessly shifts time frames. . . . Atkinson’s novel is . . . a success, an affectionate testament to the futility of any such efforts to leave the past behind.”
—NPR
“[Atkinson is] one of our most adept chroniclers of the postwar United Kingdom. . . . There is richness aplenty [in Our Noble Selves].”
—The New York Times
“Delightful . . . Atkinson is a master at quick, vivid descriptions, bringing minor characters to full life. . . . The book abounds in period details, and Atkinson wastes none of them. . . . She ties up all loose ends as skillfully as Dickens. . . . Entirely satisfying. Often funny. Never predictable.”
—The Boston Globe
“Witty and immaculately plotted, with vivid characters and intricate period detail deftly woven into a gripping mystery about a country reinventing itself.”
—People
“Atkinson is the rare author who excels across genres. . . . In her skillful, perceptive way, Atkinson shows readers both the shiny, sometimes silly surface of things and the depths underneath.”
—Bookreporter
“Another exquisitely humane novel from one of contemporary fiction’s finest writers.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A workplace comedy and a madcap spy thriller . . . Atkinson’s gift for galloping plot, as well as her typical attention to even the most tertiary character, make this a delicious gulp of a read.”
—Literary Hub
“Atkinson deftly blends the tragicomic spirit of Evelyn Waugh’s post-WWII novels with the cringe comedy of The Office in her latest history-mystery. . . . Excellent characterization and telling historical details in a wonderfully invigorating read.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Atkinson skillfully juxtaposes the emotional scars of war with laugh-out-loud farce. . . . The plot, stacked with blackmail and betrayals, builds to a satisfying resolution. This entertaining romp has a good deal of depth.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Atkinson is a brilliant historical novelist, with the ability not only to juggle a large cast of characters but also to take the temperature of an entire nation.”
—Literary Hub
“It may be humanly impossible to read this book without loving it. . . . Atkinson’s utterly charming characters are . . . caught in the convoluted riptides of the mid-20th century.”
—CrimeReads
