Reviews Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

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Melancholic Mythologies: “Half Gods” and the “Mahabharata”
In “Half Gods,” Akil Kumarasamy renders slow-moving pictures of Sri Lankan grief that unspool over the course of the collection.
Kalyan NadimintiJun 16, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
The Cost of War: Parts and Labor
Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in Baghdad” continues to win prizes for good reason: it is one of the best fictional accounts of the Iraq War yet.
Roger LuckhurstJun 16, 2018
Balancing Act: Richard Sennett’s “Building and Dwelling”
Richard Sennett’s notion of an “open city” articulates how to achieve, or at least think about, the ethical city in the 21st century.
Josh StephensJun 15, 2018
An Irresponsible Obsession: Tara Isabella Burton’s “Social Creature”
Lauren Sarazen reviews Tara Isabella Burton's Patricia Highsmith–esque novel, "Social Creature."
Lauren SarazenJun 14, 2018
- Fiction
An Elegy for Cemeteries
A book on the rise and fall of American cemeteries.
Sam HolleranJun 13, 2018
Aimee Molloy’s Maternal Horror
The gripping horror of Aimee Molloy’s “The Perfect Mother” lies in showing us the demons of motherhood in broad daylight.
Lily MeyerJun 13, 2018
- Fiction
- Gender & Sexuality
Sinking Cities
A lyrical new book on disappearing shorelines connects science to the personal.
Rafaela BassiliJun 12, 2018
- Memoir & Essay
- Politics
The Sensual Music of Sex in Allegra Huston’s “Say My Name”
Allegra Huston’s debut novel is suffused with sensual feeling.
Andrew GumbelJun 11, 2018
- Fiction
Down and Out in Silicon Valley
Justin Tyler Clark reads the funny, frightening "Live Work Work Work Die."
Justin Tyler ClarkJun 11, 2018
Processes of Memory: Christa Wolf’s “Eulogy for the Living: Taking Flight”
As part of a comprehensive guide to Christa Wolf’s often controversial literary history, "Eulogy for the Living" provides a perfect starting point.
Fiona BrysonJun 10, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
A Rifle on the Wall: Kevin Powers’s “A Shout in the Ruins”
"Powers seems more inclined toward over-regulation and order even as he’s trying to tell a story of disorder." On "A Shout in the Ruins."
Shehryar FazliJun 9, 2018
- Fiction
Death by Charity
An author takes a road trip across Haiti to understand the blowback from good intentions.
Ajay OronaJun 9, 2018
The Earth Strikes Back! Post-Thatcherite Neoliberalism in Ian McDonald’s “Luna: Wolf Moon”
“Luna: Wolf Moon” reminds us that space-utopianism based on imperial or neoliberal ideals will not escape the gravity well of such dystopian foundations.
Hugh Charles O’ConnellJun 9, 2018
- SF
Everything Was a Fake
Nathan Scott McNamara reviews Helen DeWitt’s collection “Some Trick,” where we are granted access to 13 more of her mad performances.
Nathan Scott McNamaraJun 8, 2018
- Fiction
Noir Turned on Its Side
Robert Allen Papinchak reviews “Noir” by Christopher Moore.
Robert Allen PapinchakJun 8, 2018
- Noir
- SF
Dystopian Bodies: Barbara Ehrenreich Attacks the Epidemic of Wellness
As Ehrenreich finds, not only is the science of wellness dubious, but its systems of self-control (like dieting) also reify class and gender hierarchies.
Niko MaragosJun 7, 2018
- Politics
- Science & Technology