" P]robably the most distinguished writer of English prose in the novel form at present living. He cannot do other than write beautifully." - Humbert Wolfe
"The book abounds in glowing experiences of a world of colour and sensation, minutely imagined. . . . The description of dawn at Kew Gardens is so lovely that the reader will be tempted to endanger his respectability by emulating Judy and climbing the wall." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"Among the few highly important and significant novelists of the day." - "The Observer"
"There is poetry beneath Mr. Fraser's fantastic humour as there is a cunning grace in his prose." - "The Times"
"The erotic awakening of a young woman . . . Judy, a student at Kew Gardens . . . is engaged to a personable young man who does not have the ability to arouse her, though she likes him, and she is disturbed by the utilitarian, materialistic life-philosophy of her businessman brother. She becomes more and more sensitive to the hidden life of the plants at Kew, and comes to see them as personalities, with the giant orchid in the role of passionate lover. . . . Told with delicate imagery and fine perceptions, a minor rococoism of art deco literature." - E.F. Bleiler, "The Guide to Supernatural Fiction" (1983)
This first-ever reprinting of "Flower Phantoms" (1926), the best-known novel by Ronald Fraser (1888-1974), features a new introduction by Mark Valentine.

" G]rew upon me with every page, until I came to the dramatic climax . . . often brilliant . . . with] the brilliance of fever, almost of delirium." - "Punch"
"It is very shocking . . . Houghton] has proved himself to possess considerable talent." - "Spectator"
""Neighbours" is a novel about ideas concerning life. It is full of dialogue, and good dialogue. It has beautiful moments. It is original." - Arnold Bennett, "Evening Standard"
"His novels bring us the finest and most firmly thought-out exposition of the spiritual problem of modern times." - "New York Times"
"In Claude Houghton's work you have come to expect not only an unusual and fast-moving story, but one with its hidden excitements or seeming touch of fantasy, the significance of which may not be apparent until you have reached the last page." - "Sunday Times"
The narrator of "Neighbours" is a young writer who has taken a room in the attic of a lodging house, where he hopes to find a quiet atmosphere in which to work. One night, the sound of a man's laughter outside his door alerts him to the existence of Victor, a fellow lodger in an adjoining room. The narrator feels an immediate and inexplicable hatred for his unwanted neighbour, which develops into an obsession as he listens to Victor's fervent conversations and amorous adventures through the thin wall and records it all in minute detail on endless sheets of paper. His morbid fascination with Victor gradually begins to dominate his existence, leading to a shocking climax when he finally resolves to destroy his neighbour, the man he blames for ruining his life . . .
Claude Houghton (1889-1961) won a devoted cult following in the 1930s with novels like "I Am Jonathan Scrivener" (1930) and "This Was Ivor Trent" (1935), psychological thrillers with brilliantly sharp dialogue and unusual metaphysical themes. This edition of his astonishing first novel, "Neighbours" (1926), is the first in over 75 years and features a new introduction by Mark Valentine.