8 NOVEMBER 2008, page 51

A Choice Of First Novels

Simon Baker A Fraction of the Whole , by Steve Toltz, was one of two debut novels on the Booker shortlist — and is, one could argue, a more distinguished offering than the other......

The Divided States Of America

Ian Sansom A M ERCY by Toni Morrison Chatto, £15.99, pp. 168, ISBN 9780701180454 V £12.79(plus £2.45 p&p) 0870 429 6655 Y ou may or may not agree with the New York Times , which......

Surprising Literary Ventures

Gary Dexter A MOK : K ING OF L EGEND (1976) by Ken Follett K en Follett is a cult in countries such as Japan, Italy and Spain — in Spain, in fact, there is a statue to him,......