An important and individual work, a stage in the development of a significant talent Daily Telegraph He has teased ordinary circumstances into something extraordinary, which is exactly what we want our fiction writers to do Economist What an imagination - and what a memorable conceit ... This engaging and original novel confirms Ferris as a writer who, like his hero, is being taken - half voluntarily - on an unpredictable journey Literary Review Ferris writes hauntingly on the fragility of our minds and on the compulsions that drive us, despite our best intentions Vogue As a metaphor for any sort of addiction - particularly its impact on those around you - this is remarkable GQ

Joshua Ferris was born in Illinois in 1974. His first novel, Then We Came to the End, was published to widespread acclaim in 2007 and was nominated for the National Book Award and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. He lives in New York.