Vigil by George Saunders
How do we comfort and forgive a dying oil CEO whose climate change denial has ruined our futures? George Saunders explores the question in his new novel Vigil.
Borges Marathon, Part 24: The End
On the difficulty of reading and interpreting a story when you don't get the central references.
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Deep themes are explored in this slow, meditative novel set high in the Swiss Alps.
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
My review of Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, the story of a middle-aged artist who recalls traumatic bullying in her childhood.
The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov
My thoughts on Mikhail Bulgakov's long-banned satire on Soviet social engineering.
Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi
This book started with a social media post. The author, Lea Ypi, saw a photo of her grandmother posted online and going viral in Albania. Some of the comments were offensive and wildly inaccurate, and since her grandmother is now…
Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu
I wanted to like this novel, but I couldn't. Here's why.
September Reading: A Month to Forget
My thoughts on a month when, for once, I didn't enjoy reading. Was it the books, or was it me?
Borges Marathon, Part 23: Three Versions of Judas
Did Judas really betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver? In a piece of fiction masquerading as a scholarly article, Jorge Luis Borges explores more virtuous motivations.