In a review for The Observer Tim Adams of  wrote "Often in the book, you feel like you could listen to Frank observing his life for ever; very occasionally, it feels like you are," adding "There's not a line in the nearly 500 pages that you would want to lose, though." The Wall Street Journal complimented the book, writing "Mr. Ford's prose, however, is far from dull; virtuosic flights and crescendos animate passages that we might otherwise think we could do without." In contrast, Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times called the book "lethargic" and a "padded, static production."
In a review for The Observer, Tim Adams noted that often in the book you could listen to Frank observing his life forever; very occasionally, it felt like you were listening. He also stated, "There's not a single line in nearly 500 pages that you would want to lose." The Wall Street Journal complimented the book, saying "Mr. Ford's prose is far from dull; virtuosic passages and crescendos bring life to passages we might otherwise consider unnecessary." In contrast, Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times called it "languid" and a "thick, static production."