Meh
Garth Risk Hallberg’s debut novel about ’70s New York has reaped tons of attention for its scope and ambition, but all the hoopla can’t mask its shortcomings.
Nicholas Mancusi's criticism has appeared in The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, NPR, American Arts Quarterly, and elsewhere. He blogs at galleyist.com. Follow him @NicholasMancusi.
Confession
In his arresting debut novel, Viet Thanh Nguyen has crafted one of the best pieces of fiction about the Vietnam war—and by a Vietnamese. And he’s just getting started.
Two Tales
Blaine Harden recounts the fractured fairy-tale origins of North Korea through the stories of the Stalinist tyrant Kim Il Sung and fighter pilot No Kum Sok, who fled the kingdom.
This Week’s Hot Reads
A vision quest gone wrong, a poet laurate looks back on life, and an academic reconsidering of Modernism in Nazi Germany. By Nicholas Mancusi
Humbled
The latest novel from Samantha Harvey is truly superb, but left its reviewer at a loss for how to describe it.
Absurdity
In his latest novel, the author of ‘Jesus’ Son’ and ‘Tree of Smoke’ discovers the geographical equivalent for his end-of-the-world prose in West Africa.
New & Notable
A study in American military control, a haunting sui generis novel, and a playful new short story collection.
This Week’s Hot Reads
A ‘Big Explainer’ on human innovation, a warning of the glamour of automation, and a novel set during the great buffalo hunts in the American frontier.
In Brief
This week, a biography of the cowboy gangster who created the World Series of Poker, a new collection from a talented young writer, and a 12th novel from a veteran at the height of his powers.
In Brief
This week, a true-life crime drama set in a famous French vineyard, an impressive debut, and a refreshing spin on the supernatural thriller.