Can Xue and the Difficulties of Love
October 13, 2015
John Donatich— “Can modern man, in today’s society, still fall in love?” This seems to me the central question in the work of Can Xue. Granted, this might come as… READ MORE
Category: Literature
The Absurdity of Existence: Franz Kafka and Albert Camus
September 16, 2015
Absurdist literature is notoriously difficult to read. Take, for example, Kafka’s short story, “The Metamorphosis,” in which the main character turns into a giant cockroach. Critics have produced countless different… READ MORE
Dangerous Books in America, Britain, and France
September 15, 2015
Books have always had the power to make authorities rather uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s because the novel makes the government look bad, goes against the teachings of a particular religion, or… READ MORE
A Conversation with Clive James
September 1, 2015
In August 2015 Yale published Latest Readings, by the celebrated memoirist, poet, translator, critic and broadcaster Clive James. As he contemplates life and mortality, James muses that “if you don’t know the… READ MORE
Patrick Modiano’s Paris
August 25, 2015
Mark Polizzotti— The Paris of Patrick Modiano’s fictions is a city that no longer exists, and perhaps never did. There is a character and a topology typical of his version… READ MORE
Summer Reading List, 2015
July 4, 2015
For everyone heading to the beach this Fourth of July, here’s a list of books for your seaside reading. Some will inspire you, some will ask you to reflect, and… READ MORE
Winston Churchill’s Beach Reading: His Top Ten Books
June 29, 2015
Jonathan Rose— More than most politicians, Winston Churchill was an insatiable reader. He loved to schmooze with authors, and what he read profoundly shaped his political worldview. He never actually… READ MORE
Books et Veritas: India and the Caste System — a Literary Conceptualization
June 8, 2015
Simran Chahal— After the recent and controversial release of India’s Daughter, a documentary regarding the brutal gang rape of 23 year-old physiotherapy student Jyoti Singh in 2012, many questions are… READ MORE
Life during Argentina’s Dirty War
June 1, 2015
The Dirty War was a campaign by the government of Argentina to suppress left-wing political opponents. It is estimated that during the period from 1976 to 1983, 10,000 to 30,000… READ MORE
Manguel, Dante, and the Origins of Curiosity
May 18, 2015
The following is an excerpt from Alberto Manguel’s latest book, Curiosity. The word itself has been seen through the ages as the impulse that drives our knowledge forward and the temptation that… READ MORE
Ep. 120—A Global History of Wars