Reviews Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

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Bodies Without Bodies
Martín Felipe Castagnet’s absorbing debut novel explores the unexpected consequences of technological immortality.
Geoff ShullenbergerSep 14, 2018
- Around the World
- SF
Suffering Visible: The Ravages of Postcolonial Capitalism in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s “This Mournable Body”
In her sly, layered novel “This Mournable Body,” Tsitsi Dangarembga forces the reader’s perspective toward both violence and its humane alternatives.
Michael FriedrichSep 14, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
Alive in a Magic Democracy: On “The Real Lolita”
Francesca Capossela puts “The Real Lolita” by Sarah Weinman in dialogue with “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov.
Francesca CaposselaSep 12, 2018
The Dust on a Butterfly’s Wing: On Sarah Weinman’s Investigation of “The Real Lolita”
Désirée Zamorano reviews “The Real Lolita” by Sarah Weinman.
Désirée ZamoranoSep 12, 2018
Lone Star Explainers, Explained
Another attempt to explain Texas to the perplexed covers familiar territory, but still distinguishes itself.
Brad TyerSep 11, 2018
- Politics
An Ode to New-Metal Man: David R. Bunch’s “Moderan”
Rob Latham sings the praises of “Moderan,” a neglected classic about a false utopia by David R. Bunch.
Rob LathamSep 11, 2018
- SF
The Frame of Things
Why did the 19th century pose so many questions?
Ian BeacockSep 10, 2018
- History
- Politics
Nothing to Fear, but …
Robert Zaretsky tackles “The Monarchy of Fear: A Philosopher Looks at Our Political Crisis” by Martha C. Nussbaum.
Robert ZaretskySep 9, 2018
Not to Be Forgotten
“Once Upon a Time Machine Volume 2: Greek Gods and Legends” sees adaptation as more than the straightforward retelling of old tales in a different medium.
Nancy PedriSep 8, 2018
- Comics
Satire and Subversion in Ishmael Reed’s “Conjugating Hindi”
Anita Felicelli on the firebrand Ishmael Reed’s latest novel, “Conjugating Hindi,” which is out now from Dalkey Archive Press.
Anita FelicelliSep 8, 2018
- Fiction
A New Light on a Neglected Ruler: On “Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan”
A biography of one of India’s forgotten female rulers.
Gary SinghSep 7, 2018
Bad Blood, Worse Ethics
Sidney Perkowitz unravels the secrets of the infamous Theranos scandal.
Sidney PerkowitzSep 7, 2018
- Science & Technology
On the Defensive: Navigating White Advantage and White Fragility
"White Fragility" reads as one-part jeremiad and one-part handbook. It is by turns mordant and then inspirational.
David RoedigerSep 6, 2018
- Economics and Finance
- Politics
No More EasyJet: On Bruno Latour’s “Où atterrir?”
In a new text by Bruno Latour, the French theorist discusses the politics of ecological denial and the global-local divide on both sides of the Atlantic.
James DelbourgoSep 6, 2018
Get Lots of Happenings: On Mike Wendling’s “Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House”
Houman Barekat considers “Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House,” an analysis of far-right internet culture by Mike Wendling.
Houman BarekatSep 5, 2018
- History
- Politics
How to Fight the Fire
Wendell Berry’s new collection, “The World-Ending Fire,” teaches that the rotten ways we treat one another are rooted in the rotten ways we treat the land.
Dean KuipersSep 5, 2018