Reviews Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

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Narratives of Personhood: The Various Shades of the Enlightenment
Meir Dan-Cohen on two new books that elucidate the challenges that enlightened humanism faces today.
Meir Dan-CohenNov 6, 2016
The Soviet Matrix: On the Strugatsky Brothers’ “The Doomed City”
Marat Grinberg on the long-awaited translation of the Strugatsky Brothers' "The Doomed City."
Marat GrinbergNov 5, 2016
- SF
Human Lessons: on Mary Ruefle’s “My Private Property”
Stephanie Pushaw finds the many colors of sadness in Mary Ruefle's "My Private Property."
Stephanie PushawNov 5, 2016
- Fiction
Crossing Boundaries with Anne Raeff
Hugh Sheehy on Anne Raeff's continent-spanning "The Jungle Around Us."
Hugh SheehyNov 5, 2016
- Fiction
The Good Man Stanley
Stanley Kubrick's personal assistant reflects on his relationship with the "2001" director. But is it more than just a fawning trip down memory lane?
Zack SigelNov 2, 2016
- Film
- Memoir & Essay
The Network Imaginary
Mary Pappalardo on Patrick Jagoda's "Network Aesthetics" and the need to scrutinize the networks we live in.
Mary PappalardoNov 1, 2016
Fractals of Fractals: on April Ayers Lawson’s “Virgin and Other Stories”
“Virgin and Other Stories,” the debut collection from April Ayers Lawson, masterfully creates the sense that the world is chaos.
Lindsay HunterNov 1, 2016
- Fiction
The Spirit Is Willing: On Colin Dickey’s “Ghostland”
Rachel Monroe reviews Colin Dickey’s “Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places.”
Rachel MonroeOct 31, 2016
- History
- Nonfiction
“Against Democracy” and “Against Elections”: Where Do We Go From Here?
Two books argue against democracy as it is practiced and explore alternatives. No, not dictatorship.
Roslyn FullerOct 31, 2016
- Law
- Politics
Renegade Rosset
John Tytell on Barney Rosset, the gutsy dynamo of American alternative publishing.
John TytellOct 29, 2016
- Biography & Autobiography
- Memoir & Essay
Second Acts: A Second Look at Second Books of Poetry: R. T. Smith and Mark Wagenaar
Lisa Russ Spaar appreciates the excellence of R. T. Smith’s and Mark Wagenaar’s second collections.
Lisa Russ SpaarOct 28, 2016
- Poetry
Hillary’s Biggest Decision
Jon WienerOct 28, 2016
“Looking for Parents and Cover”: All the Poems of Stevie Smith
Lynne Sharon Schwartz appraises the enduring work of Stevie Smith.
Lynne Sharon SchwartzOct 28, 2016
- Poetry
Making Meaning Under the Siege: On Five Leningrad Poets
Piotr Florczyk reflects on a brief new anthology of poetry written during the Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944).
Piotr FlorczykOct 27, 2016
- Around the World
- Poetry
A Forensic Thousand-and-One Nights
Glenn Harper reviews “The Trespasser” by Tana French.
Glenn HarperOct 27, 2016
- Noir
Is Socialism Still a Dirty Word?
Tyler Zimmer on Verso's "The ABCs of Socialism."
Tyler ZimmerOct 26, 2016
- Politics