»It is deliberately not as profound as the approaches taken by Thomas Mann (Lotte in Weimar) or Martin Walker (A Loving Man), but is much funnier.«

»Goethe research should most definitely be spurred on by Lewinsky. It obviously seems to have overlooked one or two things.«

»In the novel Smoke and Sound Charles Lewinsky not only undertakes a cheerful, quotation-rich toppling of monuments but also acquaints us with the demands and abysses of the creative individual.«

»This is a marvellous Goethe parody, told in a tongue-in-cheek manner and ironic tone, and truly amusing.«

»Lewinsky realized the Weimar classic period in charming language and with conquering metaphors, as well as with a finely tuned balance between truth and telling.«