F. Scott Fitzgerald
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
LATEST BOOK REVIEWS
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Bliss Montage, by Ling Ma
The oranges on the cover of “Bliss Montage” by Ling Ma are hidden behind plastic wrap, in full view but behind something that needs to be ripped off. I think this image summarizes the book perfectly. This is a collection of eight stories, and it’s probably best to read them one story a day: they…
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The Woman in the Library, by Surali Gentill
I love good mysteries – as a genre and as a palate cleanser – so I’m always looking forward to reading more thrillers in the summertime when “the livin’ is easy.” After discovering that “The Woman in the Library” by Surali Gentill was recommended in the New York Times (May 27, 2022, “Murder, Blackmail and…
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The Long Corner, by Alexander Maksik
What is art? Alexander Maksik’s new novel “The Long Corner” repeatedly asks this age-old question. The answer is usually short: sometimes it sounds like a slogan, sometimes like a statement of fact, sometimes like a provocative association with an inscription on the gate to Auschwitz. A young zealous Jewish journalist, Solomon Fields, moves from Los…
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Cult Classic, by Sloane Crosley
We probably all experienced the moment when reading a book we suddenly thought – this book should be made into a movie! This is precisely the discovery I made while reading “Cult Classic” by Sloane Crosley. Such a film would be “Inception” meets “When Harry meets Sally” with the exception that in the book, sure,…
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Yoga, by Emmanuel Carrère
Writers mainly write about themselves, even if their subconscious exhibitionism hides under the cover of fictional characters. Nowadays, candidly describing one’s personal experiences is seen more and more often in literature. Emmanuel Carrere is a writer who writes about himself. As he says, he never lies in his books, writing openly about his searches, fascinations,…
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All the Lovers in the Night, by Mieko Kawakami
I’ve always had a weakness for misfits and loners in novels. Hence, no wonder, after a few pages of the book “All the Lovers in the Night” by Mieko Kawakami, I realized that I really liked the main character, Fuyoko Irie. She is a 34-year-old woman living alone in Tokyo, whose days are filled with…
