Fiction

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

The Humiliation of No Longer Being Desired: Nathalie Léger’s Investigations of Abandonment
Nathan Scott McNamara considers Nathalie Léger's "The White Dress," out now from Dorothy in a translation by Natasha Lehrer.
Nathan Scott McNamaraDec 6, 2020
- Around the World
- Fiction
“Madness, Truth, the Entire Choreography”: On Rainald Goetz’s “Rave”
Shane Anderson reviews Rainald Goetz’s “Rave” (1998), recently translated from German to English by Adrian Nathan West.
Shane AndersonDec 4, 2020
- Around the World
- Fiction
The Hyena’s Laugh: I. U. Tarchetti and the Birth of Italian Gothic
Lawrence Venuti resurrects the fantastic tales of Iginio Ugo Tarchetti.
Lawrence VenutiDec 4, 2020
“Coming at Ghosts from Unexpected Angles”: An Interview with Laura van den Berg on “I Hold a Wolf by the Ears”
Elliot Schiff talks with Laura van den Berg about her new short story collection, “I Hold a Wolf by the Ears.”
Elliot SchiffDec 3, 2020
- Fiction
The Main Thing Is Dread: On Don DeLillo’s “The Silence”
Cornel Bonca contends with "The Silence," the latest novel from Don DeLillo.
Cornel BoncaDec 1, 2020
- Fiction
Antidotes to Brexit, COVID-19, and Other Afflictions in Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet
Natasha Hakimi Zapata unravels Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet series as a framework for confronting the perils of Brexit and COVID-19.
Natasha Hakimi ZapataNov 30, 2020
- Fiction
No Guarantees: An Interview with Christina Baker Kline
Meredith Maran interviews author Christina Baker Kline about life after her first best seller.
Meredith MaranNov 29, 2020
- Fiction
Platonov’s Weeping Cow
Samuel Liu appreciates the Soviet-era author Andrei Platonov, who “deforms language to match the contortion of his emotional need.”
Samuel LiuNov 28, 2020
Creating a Story with a Dead Body: An Interview with Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Corinne Manning talks to writer Nancy Jooyoun Kim about her debut novel, "The Last Story of Mina Lee."
Corinne ManningNov 25, 2020
- Fiction
A Journey to the Idea of North: On Hari Kunzru’s “Red Pill”
Randy Rosenthal reviews Hari Kunzru's latest novel, "Red Pill."
Randy RosenthalNov 18, 2020
- Fiction
Rumaan Alam’s “Leave the World Behind” Examines What Happens When You Can’t
Elena Sheppard reviews Rumaan Alam's new novel, "Leave the World Behind."
Elena SheppardNov 17, 2020
- Fiction
Real Life Rock Top 10: November 2020: Special Election Edition!
LARB presents the special election installment of “Real Life Rock Top 10,” a monthly column by cultural critic Greil Marcus.
Greil MarcusNov 16, 2020
- Fiction
- Politics