'Its author is prodigiously gifted.... A witty, well-informed intelligence is constantly at play....The writing depends purely on its own flair and inventiveness, and watching the author find different ways of rising to the occasion is a part of the pleasure of reading....The devious machinations of this plot...are handled expertly....A velvety cream of detail reminiscent of Nabokov.'

(The Guardian (UK))

'Ingenious debut novel…with a wry generosity and haunting poignancy to rival his wonderfully subversive wit.'

(New York Times)

'Prague shimmers with youthful energy and the seductive power of fleeting possibilities.'

(Time Out New York)

'Dazzling first novel... Prague reveals a writer of limitless imagination and admirable wit. It is an auspicious debut.'

(New York Daily News)

'The year's first distinguished American debut novel... A mathematical elegance of form... Mr. Phillips writes exceptionally well... Budapest lives in this book... a fine thing for those who value the art of fiction.'

(The New York Sun)

'Wry, savvy, bittersweet... astonishingly assured... a bravura performance... The whole novel sings out with seductive Èlan... A gravitas beneath the book's bright surface calls to mind the rueful-romantic notes of F. Scott Fitzgerald's best fiction.'

(The Seattle Times)

'There used to be novels…that managed to be both entertaining and thoughtful. Think Graham Greene or W. Somerset Maugham… But since those two suave giants died, no one's come along to fill their shoes. Which is the first of several good reasons to welcome the arrival of Arthur Phillips…We can stop yearning for that elegant, entertaining novel that used to be. Thanks to Phillips, it's right here, right now.'

(Newsweek)

'Phillips' novel has scope, historical perspective and complexity, especially rare in most first novels... Manages to convey volumes about his characters... Heartbreaking ... a masterpiece of caustic satire... A substantive book.'

(Los Angeles Times Book Review)

'Everything about this dazzling first novel is utterly original… devilishly clever… [Phillips'] writing is swift, often poetic, unerringly exact with voices and subtle details of time, place and weather. This novel is so complete a distillation of its theme and characters that it leaves a reader wondering how on earth Phillips can follow it up…the most memorable fiction debut of the year to date.'

(Publishers Weekly (starred review))

'I found this book warmly nostalgic, a real pleasure for anyone who's ever experienced the year away... It's also very funny indeed.'

(Time Out London)

'The first half of 2002 alone can boast brilliant first novels… Good as these are, they're surpassed by Arthur Phillips's fiendishly clever Prague.'

(Kirkus Reviews (cover review))

'Rich meditation on post-ideological ennui…really an old-fashioned novel of ideas…Very funny…likely to leave you aching, too.'

(The New Yorker)

'Rhapsodic... complex and melancholic... earnest, atmospheric... His Budapest is ... a canvas on which to draw a carefully detailed contrast.'

(Washington Post Book World)

'Wry and skillful... marvelous flights of erudite fancy...a rare balance of wisdom and imagination.'

(The New York Times Book Review)

'... great dialogue, irony, satire and superb descriptive passages, this novel works on many levels.'

(Sunday Mail Brisbane )