Reviews Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

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Disincarnation of the World: On Octavio Paz’s “The Monkey Grammarian”
Ilan Stavans introduces a new edition of Nobel Prize–winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz’s “The Monkey Grammarian” (1974).
Ilan StavansJul 4, 2017
- Around the World
- Poetry
The End of Economics
"Geoff Mann boils the essence of Keynesianism down to a deceptively simple question: is it worth risking civilization to make it better?"
Matt SeyboldJul 3, 2017
- Economics and Finance
The Myth of an Apolitical Montaigne
Robert Minto assays “Montaigne: A Life” by Philippe Desan, which restores the great essayist’s political dimension.
Robert MintoJul 3, 2017
Building a Home
“Can a recent college graduate try to fix a Detroit house without being annoying about it?” Our reviewer finds out.
Andrew ZaleskiJul 3, 2017
- Politics
Choose and Be Damned: Responsibility and Privilege in a Neoliberal Age
Sean McCann on two new books about the problem of meritocracy.
Sean McCannJul 2, 2017
- Economics and Finance
- Politics
What Makes a Jew a Jew: On Steven Weitzman’s “The Origin of the Jews”
David Mikics examines “The Origin of the Jews” by Steven Weitzman.
David MikicsJul 1, 2017
- History
- Religion
House of Secrets: Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s “Black Hammer: Secret Origins”
Osvaldo Oyola on the family dynamics of Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston's "Black Hammer."
Osvaldo OyolaJul 1, 2017
- Comics
That’s More Like It: Tessa Hadley’s “Bad Dreams and Other Stories”
Tessa Hadley develops a quiet, vicious catalog of the misery dealt to women who care — for themselves, for others, or for abstract principles like love.
Claire JarvisJul 1, 2017
- Fiction
Second Acts: A Second Look at Second Books of Poetry: Olga Broumas and Emilia Phillips
Lisa Russ Spaar is moved by of Olga Broumas’s and Emilia Phillips’s second collections.
Lisa Russ SpaarJun 30, 2017
- Poetry
Lunch and Other Distractions: On Susan Bright’s Pictorial History of Food Photography
Geoff Nicholson savors Susan Bright's "Feast for the Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography."
Geoff NicholsonJun 30, 2017
- Art & Architecture
- Food & Drink
The Mare, Mère, and Mary
It’s hard to watch Mary Gaitskill being nice.
Joanna WalshJun 30, 2017
- Fiction
A Brutal Intelligence: AI, Chess, and the Human Mind
Nicholas Carr contemplates AI and “Deep Thinking,” a memoir by chess master Garry Kasparov.
Nicholas CarrJun 29, 2017
- Memoir & Essay
- Science & Technology
Homophobes Without Homophobia
Bruno Perreau’s “Queer Theory: The French Response” illuminates the new politics of sexuality in contemporary conservative movements in France and the U.S.
Adrian DaubJun 28, 2017
The Collapse of the Postwar Compact: On Rick Wartzman’s “The End of Loyalty”
Darryl Holter reviews Rick Wartzman’s new book about the decline of American labor.
Darryl HolterJun 27, 2017
“With Suffering and Love, At Daybreak”: On Mathias Énard’s “Compass”
Dustin Illingworth navigates “Compass,” “an extraordinary achievement” by French novelist Mathias Énard.
Dustin IllingworthJun 27, 2017
- Fiction
“This Tale Is About You!”: On Bini Adamczak’s “Communism for Kids”
Ross Wolfe advocates “Communism for Kids” by Bini Adamczak.
Ross WolfeJun 27, 2017
- Politics