Books

Books
Arts

The Wind Still Blows Through The Willows — And Along 'The River Bank'

12:55pm September 14, 2017

by Amal El-Mohtar

Kij Johnson works fresh magic with an old story in The River Bank, a sequel to The Wind in the Willows that introduces two new characters, Miss Mole and Miss Rabbit, but keeps the original's charm.

The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve. (Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR)

Books
Arts

It All Began With 'Adam And Eve'

7:00am September 14, 2017

by Michael Schaub

In his new book, Stephen Greenblatt argues that the world wouldn't be the same without the story of Adam and Eve — the primal narrative that shapes how we think about almost everything.

The 2017 Man Booker nominees are Paul Auster's 4 3 2 1, Fiona Mozley's Elmet, Ali Smith's Autumn, Emily Fridlund's History of Wolves, George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo, and Mohsin Hamid's Exit West.

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Arts

Man Booker Prize Shortlist Features George Saunders, Mohsin Hamid And Ali Smith

11:28am September 13, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The 2017 nominees for the U.K.'s top literary prize include a hefty dose of marquee authors, such as Paul Auster. But the list also features a pair of debuts, from Emily Fridlund and Fiona Mozley.

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Arts

The Pleasures Of Story Get Lost In This 'Forest Dark'

11:04am September 13, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

In Nicole Krauss' new novel, two characters move to Israel in search of fresh starts. But this strained tale of midlife crisis takes some odd turns and never quite coheres.

World Without Mind by Franklin Foer (Emily Bogle/NPR)

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'World Without Mind' Is An Urgent, Personal Polemic

10:00am September 13, 2017

by Jason Heller

Franklin Foer's new book on the collision of technology and democracy is heavily informed by his unhappy 2014 departure from The New Republic, after its takeover by Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes.

Hillary Clinton at the Glazier Arboretum Park, where she often likes to hike, in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Hillary Clinton Is 'Done,' But Not Going Away

5:19pm September 12, 2017

by Tamara Keith

In interviews with NPR, Clinton discusses her life since the election she didn't expect to lose and why she lost. And she offers scathing criticism of President Trump.

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Arts

'Survivor Cafe' Explores How To Preserve The Legacy Of Horrific Events

4:31pm September 12, 2017

How do we carry the stories of horrific events forward? That's one of the questions Elizabeth Rosner tries to answer in her book, Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory.

Hillary Rodham Clinton visits the Glazier Arboretum Park where she often likes to hike in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Who Is 'What Happened' For? Maybe Hillary Clinton Most Of All

2:42pm September 12, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Danielle Kurtzleben says Clinton's tale about her losing 2016 campaign reads like the unburdening of a woman relieved to finally, without interruption, tell her side of a story everyone already knows.

Claire Messud's previous books include The Emperor's Children and The Woman Upstairs.

Books
Arts

Adolescent Friendship Fades Away In Claire Messud's Gothic 'Burning Girl'

2:11pm September 12, 2017

by Maureen Corrigan

Messud's novel centers on best friends from different class backgrounds who begin to drift apart in 7th grade. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls The Burning Girl a story of "betrayal and isolation."

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A Disappearance in Damascus, by Deborah Campbell

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Arts

In 'Damascus,' A Chilling Mystery With A Personal Connection

12:06pm September 12, 2017

by Deborah Amos

Deborah Campbell's A Disappearance in Damascus is both a taut detective story and an intimate account of friendship during war — and that's before our reviewer discovered her own part in the story.