 The novel was on the longlist for the Booker Prize in 2002, and on the shortlist of the International Dublin Literary Award in 2004.In 2009, Boyd commented, "[it] didn't get particularly good reviews, yet I've never had so many letters about a novel.It's selling fantastically well seven years on, and we're about to turn it into six hours of telly for Channel 4, so something about that novel gets to readers."