A minority dissenter here. I'm afraid the puzzle didn't appeal at all. The overlapping trio of clue gimmicks made things a lot easier for the setter and a lot harder for the solver. Fortunately I guessed the author with only a few letters in place, which gave me the title, so things got a little easier after a very slow start, but I still found it very tough to spot and work out the remaining thematic answers, and I'm not convinced that one of them is strictly thematic.
A hard slog with no reward at the end. I would have admired and enjoyed the puzzle far more if thematic modifications resulted in real words. Eight that complied with the puzzle's title would have been possible; more than eight would have required a slight broadening of the theme, but would still comply with the literary title.