A Bleak, Violent Novel’s Unexpected Delights
admin For the characters in <em>The Disappearers</em>, seeing and being seen are matters of life and death.
Books Briefing
The Best Way to Learn Outside of the Classroom
As a busy adult, I approach foundational, complicated ideas with the help of the intellectual biography.
Kafka’s Most Entertaining Stories
The animal narrators in these works teach us something funny about human beings.
What Climate Fiction Should Accomplish
Can a novel capture the shock of planetary instability?
A Pulitzer Winner Who Keeps Pushing Himself
Colson Whitehead’s career shows the power of restlessness in writing.
The Catcher in the Rye Is for Girls Too
J. D. Salinger’s classic novel of teen alienation made me feel more connected to the world.
Darwin’s Story Isn’t as Simple as It Seems
The best writing leads us to a more complex and more honest understanding of the past.
The Thinkers Who Explain This Baffling Era
These philosophers are less arcane—and more relevant—than some readers might think.
What to Read When You’re Wondering What’s Out There
This novel is nominally about an interstellar voyage. It’s actually about sex, love, God, and the problem of evil.
What Dogs See That We Can’t
Consciousness separates us from machines. Need convincing? Just take a good look at a faithful canine.