Fiction

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

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  Biography of a Book: Zaretsky on Kaplan on Camus

  Robert Zaretsky on Alice Kaplan's "Looking For 'The Stranger'."

  Robert ZaretskySep 15, 2016

  • Fiction

  • History

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  Too Much and Too Little: A History of David Foster Wallace’s “The Pale King”

  David Hering offers an excerpt from his new book "David Foster Wallace: Fiction and Form."

  David HeringSep 14, 2016

  • Fiction

  • History

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  The Wealth of Life

  Belinda McKeon talks to Ann Patchett about her new novel, "Commonwealth."

  Belinda McKeonSep 14, 2016

  • Fiction

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  The Inhospitable, Inimitable World

  Corey Van Landingham reviews Alexandra Kleeman's short story collection "Intimations"

  Corey Van LandinghamSep 13, 2016

  • Fiction

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  “The Virginity of Famous Men”: Where Hope and Loneliness Intersect

  Libby Flores on "The Virginity of Famous Men," Christine Sneed's recent short story collection.

  Libby FloresSep 13, 2016

  • Fiction

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  Maybe You Just Don’t Get It: Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Here I Am”

  Dan Friedman unpacks “Here I Am” by Jonathan Safran Foer.

  Dan FriedmanSep 12, 2016

  • Fiction

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  Intoxicating Muscle

  Bruce Robbins on Jonathan Safran Foer's "Here I Am."

  Bruce RobbinsSep 12, 2016

  • Fiction

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  Where “It” Was: Rereading Stephen King’s “It” on Its 30th Anniversary

  On its 30th anniversary, Adrian Daub revisits Stephen King’s “It” to ask: What is "It" about?

  Adrian DaubSep 11, 2016

  • Fiction

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  America First: Reading “The Plot Against America” in the Age of Trump

  Mark P. Bresnan views the rise of Donald Trump through the lens of “The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth.

  Mark P. BresnanSep 11, 2016

  • Fiction

  • Politics

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  A Clanking Ride to an Uncertain Freedom

  “The Underground Railroad” makes claims about history and the present that are much less straightforward than the hype around the novel would suggest.

  Matt SandlerSep 10, 2016

  • Fiction

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  Against Accessibility: On Robert Irwin, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Imbolo Mbue’s “Behold the Dreamers”

  As Imbolo Mbue's "Behold the Dreamers" comes out, Tope Folarin considers what kind of novel we expect from African writers.

  Tope FolarinSep 8, 2016

  • Fiction

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  A Nomad Between Worlds

  Erdağ Göknar discusses Mohed Altrad’s “Badawi” and the complexity of tradition versus modernity in the Middle East and Europe.

  Erdağ GöknarSep 6, 2016

  • Fiction