Fiction

"Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." — Mark Twain

To and from the Linguistic Shore of Ismail Kadare’s “A Girl in Exile”
Michael Valinsky appreciates the self-reflexive beauty of Ismail Kadare’s “A Girl in Exile.”
Michael ValinskyJan 9, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
The Acceptance of Certain Mysteries: Peter Taylor’s “Complete Stories”
Eric Gudas finds Peter Taylor’s two-volume “Complete Stories” transformative.
Eric GudasJan 8, 2018
- Fiction
Winners: Ayn Rand’s Teenage Daydream
On Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s theatrical adaptation of Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead.”
Peter TrachtenbergJan 8, 2018
- Fiction
- Politics
How the Unlikely Becomes Inevitable in Hermione Hoby’s “Neon in Daylight”
Bradley Babendir finds Hermione Hoby’s debut novel “Neon in Daylight” luminous and wonderful.
Bradley BabendirJan 7, 2018
- Fiction
To Petrify Time: On Grigory Kanovich’s “Shtetl Love Song” and Sergey Kanovich’s Lost Shtetl Project
Linda Kinstler considers two Lithuanian Jewish memorial endeavors, Grigory Kanovich's novel “Shtetl Love Song” and his son Sergey’s “Lost Shtetl” project.
Linda KinstlerJan 3, 2018
Lyrical Oblivion: László Krasznahorkai’s “The World Goes On”
Nicky Loomis follows the winding sentences of László Krasznahorkai's "The World Goes On."
Nicky LoomisDec 29, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction
“Où sont les neiges d’antan?”: On “Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky”
Alexis Levitin contemplates “Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky,” edited by Bryan Karetnyk.
Alexis LevitinDec 25, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction
A Carnal Contact with Reality: On Pasolini’s Novels
On a great director’s neglected novels.
Daniel FelsenthalDec 24, 2017
Learing This Sad Time: On Edward St. Aubyn’s “Dunbar”
It is foolish to ask: is this novel as good as "King Lear?" But it is as foolish to restate the prejudice that Shakespeare is the incomparable great bard.
Daniel SwiftDec 23, 2017
- Fiction
Let It Go: Niña Weijers’s Debut Novel and Understanding the Universe
Rebecca Waldron on Niña Weijers's novel of self-erasure and self-discovery.
Rebecca WaldronDec 22, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction
Books of Revelation: Christianity and Miracles in the Life and Work of Denis Johnson
Brian Dille, who was Denis Johnson’s friend, gives his perspective on how Christianity and Alcoholics Anonymous informed the “Jesus’ Son” author’s work.
Brian B. DilleDec 21, 2017
- Fiction
- Religion
The Curious Translucence of Henry Green’s Late-Career Novels
Dustin Illingworth reveals the magic of Henry Green’s late-career novels “Concluding,” “Nothing,” and “Doting.”
Dustin IllingworthDec 20, 2017
- Fiction