According to Publishers Weekly, within the context of "mean, cold, ugly, divided, tired ... post-imperial, post-industrial Britain", the novel explores "the problems of racism, international terrorism, random violence, family relationships in the era of divorce, unemployment and urban blight—a cross-section of the ills for which they hold Margaret Thatcher partially responsible.

Publishers Weekly positively writes that "Drabble's quirky characters often seem to exist to vent their author's spleen, they animate an involving story.

"[1] The L.A. Times reviewer Hermione Lee described the novel as exemplifying "Drabble's best skills [depicting] difficult social scenes, sharp emotions.

"[2] Chicago Tribune reviewer Roberta Rubenstein takes these depictions as more positive, concluding "Brilliantly developing these speculations on the nature of human behavior and personality, Drabble sustains the reader`s curiosity about how matters will be resolved.

"[5] New York Times reviewer Judith Grossman though describing the female characters as complex and interesting, concludes that Drabble's attempt at "rummag[ing] busily in what Woolf called the great bran pie of literature for good stuff cheap [despite] determination and wit, [hasn't] yielded [...] resonance and power.