Reviews Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

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Speak, Mongoose: On “Gef!: The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose”
Colin Dickey on the tale of a talking mongoose.
Colin DickeyOct 29, 2017
- History
Female Code Warriors
Two new books on female codebreakers.
Joseph PeschelOct 28, 2017
Above the Fray
Aurelian Craiutu reviews John Avlon's "Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations."
Aurelian CraiutuOct 28, 2017
- History
- Politics
“The Lockpicker”: Leonard Chang’s Ready-for-Primetime Novel
Shonda Buchanan reviews Leonard Chang's "The Lockpicker."
Shonda BuchananOct 27, 2017
- Fiction
- Noir
Confronting Uncertain Worlds: Comics with Young Female Protagonists
A review of two recent comics for young adults.
Jens LloydOct 27, 2017
Hail Wedded Love
Andrew Cutrofello reviews Paul A. Kottman's "Love As Human Freedom."
Andrew CutrofelloOct 27, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Philosophy & Religion
Pulling in and Down: On Jennifer Egan’s “Manhattan Beach”
Nandini Balial considers Jennifer Egan's latest.
Nandini BalialOct 26, 2017
- Fiction
Romancing a High-Low Split: John Haskell’s “The Complete Ballet: A Fictional Essay in Five Acts”
When was the last time you heard someone say Balanchine's name? Jean Lenihan reviews "The Complete Ballet: A Fictional Essay in Five Acts."
Jean LenihanOct 26, 2017
- Fiction
A Negative Freedom: Thirteen Poets on Formal Verse
Patrick Kurp takes the measure of “Thirteen on Form: Conversations with Poets,” edited by William Baer.
Patrick KurpOct 26, 2017
- Poetry
Wrapped in Furs: On Bunny Mellon, My Mother, and Women as Currency
Susan Zakin locates her mother’s story and a history of female struggle in Meryl Gordon’s biography, “Bunny Mellon: The Life of An American Style Legend.”
Susan ZakinOct 25, 2017
“Don’t We Know Our Own Minds?”: A Rediscovered Russian Woman Writer of the 19th Century
Yelena Furman on “City Folk and Country Folk,” a rediscovered novel by the 19th-century Russian writer Sofia Khvoshchinskaya.
Yelena FurmanOct 24, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction
The Party’s Over: Looking Back on Communism
Patrick Iber reviews two new books on communism and its aftermath.
Patrick IberOct 24, 2017
- Around the World
- History
A Roadmap to Qur’ans in English
Jack Miles, editor of "The Norton Anthology of World Religions," surveys the numerous English translations of the Qur'an.
Jack MilesOct 23, 2017
- Religion
Hollywood, Los Angeles Spies, and the Underground Battle Against Hitler
Two new books tell the story of how one alarmed volunteer in L.A.’s Jewish community helped take down Nazi spies in the years leading up to World War II.
Chris YogerstOct 23, 2017
- History
- Politics
Sing, Muse: Three New Books on Literature and Pop Music
Three books on the links between poetry and pop music.
Franz NicolayOct 22, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Music
Beyond the Bathroom: Centering and Affirming Non-Binary Trans Perspectives in Heath Fogg Davis’s “Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?”
Jacob Lau on “Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?” and the importance of challenging the sex-discrimination regime at its administrative heart.
Jacob LauOct 22, 2017
- Gender & Sexuality
- Politics