There is an art to writing about unlikeable people while still engaging the reader to invest in their indulgence, vanity and, yes, happiness. Leavitt unfurls a droll drawing-room pastiche that evokes la dolce vita as Seinfeld episode … It's Aaron Sorkin on steroids. And surprisingly compelling ... Leavitt, cleverly crafting a New Yorker cartoon in words, proves there is still some navel-gazing worth reading.

New York Times Book Review

An amusing satire ... The joy lies in how gently Leavitt lets air out of the catty micro-climates his characters inhabit, from publishing to interior design

Anthony Cummins, Daily Mail

A wickedly funny and emotionally expansive novel about all the bewildering ways we seek solace from the people and things that surround us

Jenny Offill

Very funny and unexpected, a material response to our times, plush as velvet

Rachel Cusk

Shelter in Place is a poignant, funny, wonderful novel, a pleasure and a joy

Donald Antrim

I've long been a fan of David Leavitt's work, for its range, its depth, its smarts and its humour. He is a phenomenal and prescient writer

Justin Torres