Critical Praise

“Outstanding…. As always, Cusk’s ear for language and dialogue is sharp; her characters speak about universal ideas, such as anxiety and lust. This marvelous novel continues the author’s vivid exploration of the human condition.” 

—Publishers Weekly, boxed, starred review

“Brave and uncompromising in its literary ambition, TRANSIT is a work of cut-glass brilliance that quietly insists on the reader’s thoughtful attention. One beautifully crafted sentence follows another.” 

—Rebecca Abrams, The Financial Times

“Cusk is now working on a level that makes it very surprising that she has not yet won a major literary prize. Her technical originality is equaled by the compelling nature of her subject matter, and TRANSIT is a very fine novel indeed.”

—Helen Dunmore, The Observer

“TRANSIT steers with stylishness and grace between the low-lying truths and the significant dramas we compose for ourselves out of the accidents which befall us. Offering no hostages to convention, it’s somehow page-turningly enthralling and charged with the power to move. Cusk has tuned in to our curiosity about the lives of others, and composed out of that curiosity something capacious and generous.” 

—Tessa Hadley, The Guardian

“TRANSIT is an extraordinary piece of writing --- stunningly bold, original and humane.” 

—Joanna Kavenna, The Daily Telegraph