Nonfiction

"There is nothing more poetic and terrible than the skyscrapers' battle with the heavens that cover them." — Federico García Lorca

History as Dissent: On Ian Johnson’s “Sparks” and Tania Branigan’s “Red Memory”
Craig Calhoun reviews two books on history and memory in China: Ian Johnson’s “Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future” and Tania Branigan’s “Red Memory: The Afterlives of China’s Cultural Revolution.”
Craig CalhounJan 6, 2024
Houellebecq’s Holy Folly: On Michel Houellebecq’s “Quelques mois dans ma vie”
Cory Stockwell reviews Michel Houellebecq’s “Quelques mois dans ma vie.”
Cory StockwellJan 4, 2024
- Memoir & Essay
- Nonfiction
The Hold of the Dead Over the Living: A Conversation with Jill Lepore
Julien Crockett talks with Jill Lepore about her new book “The Deadline.”
Julien CrockettJan 2, 2024
You’re Such a Character: The Knausgaard Behind Knausgaard
Bob Blaisdell examines the public life of autofiction icon Karl Ove Knausgaard.
Bob BlaisdellDec 30, 2023
L.A. Booksellers on Their Favorite Reads of 2023
Los Angeles booksellers choose their favorite books of 2023.
LARB StaffDec 24, 2023
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
The Callas Myth
Olivia Giovetti surveys memoirs about the opera diva Maria Callas, on the centenary of her birth.
Olivia GiovettiDec 21, 2023
Capitalists Inside a Communist State: On Two Books and the Puzzle of Chinese Billionaires
Carey Mott reviews two books about the blurred lines between communism and capitalism in China: Christopher Marquis and Kunyuan Qiao’s “Mao and Markets: The Communist Roots of Chinese Enterprise” and Scott Moore’s “China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology Are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future.”
Carey MottDec 18, 2023
One Gig Is Worth 10 Rehearsals: On Ray Padgett’s “Pledging My Time”
Tim Riley reviews Ray Padgett’s “Pledging My Time: Conversations with Bob Dylan Band Members.”
Tim RileyDec 17, 2023
A People’s History of Slime: On Two New Books About Ooze
Mariella Rudi reviews Susanne Wedlich’s “Slime: A Natural History” and Christopher Michlig’s “File Under: Slime.”
Mariella RudiDec 17, 2023
A Feminist Chorus: On Clara Schulmann’s “Chicanes”
Edmée Lepercq reviews French author Clara Schulmann’s newly translated book-length essay “Chicanes."
Edmée LepercqDec 15, 2023
- Memoir & Essay
- Nonfiction
Throbbing Between World and Nothing: On Robert Glück’s “About Ed”
Rose Higham-Stainton reviews Robert Glück’s “About Ed.”
Rose Higham-StaintonDec 13, 2023
Trances, Ecstasies, Raptures, and Levitations: On Carlos Eire’s “They Flew”
Peter B. Kaufman reviews Carlos Eire’s “They Flew: A History of the Impossible.”
Peter B. KaufmanDec 12, 2023