The Idea of Perfection

Grenville makes awkward atmospheres and fumbling encounters wonderfully vivid. Read it and cringe * The Times *
From these two reticent characters, besieged by two lifetimes of regret, doubt and dismay, Grenville manufactures an extraordinary comedy of manners, made all more powerful by her own reticence as a writer * Guardian *
Outrageously entertaining * Daily Mail *
Mined throughout with little pockets of danger and depth * Guardian *
A truly amazing writer -- Rosie Boycott, chair of the Orange Prize jury
An honest and compelling celebration of imperfection * Observer *
A funny and touching romance * Daily Express *
Being the only book voted for the Orange Prize shortlist by both the official judging panel, always an all-female affair, and a shadow panel of men sitting for the first time, was testament to The Idea of Perfection's universal appeal * Australian News *
Grenville has created a unique exploration of human weaknesses and how combining these weaknesses can make a strength * Irish Independent *
A funny, off-beat love story * Daily Mail *
A very fine, albeit terrifying, writer . . . another assured and intelligent performance . . . very funny, skillfully written but also very moving . . . brilliant comic set pieces * Irish Times *
This is an arresting and penetrating read . . . an honest and compelling celebration of imperfection * Observer *
An exquisite, minutely observed study of two people meeting in their middle years . . . A truly amazing writer -- Rosie Boycott, Chair of the Orange Prize 2001 Judging Panel
[Grenville is] always self-possessed, graceful, ingratiating . . . an amusing, touching, occasionally macabre tale * Spectator *
The Idea of Perfection is a very fine novel . . . Grenville's paean to the heroism of imperfection could easily slide into sentimentality. That it doesn't is a testament to her skill. There's nothing trite about the violent, sensual colour in her descriptions of the Australian bush, or her compassion for her eccentric characters * Times *
Mined throughout with little pockets of danger and depth * Guardian *
It's an outrageously entertaining book - witty, tender and full of a no-nonsense lyricism . . . by alerting us to novels this good, the [Orange] Prize more than justifies its existence * Daily Mail *
Grenville makes awkward atmospheres and fumbling encounters wonderfully vivid. Read it and cringe * Times *
Quirky and spirited * Independent *
A writer of extraordinary talent * New York Times Book Review *