Reviews Archive

Hamada Shōji demonstrating his craft at Scripps College, California, 1953.

Review

Japan’s genius for crafts

The early 20th Century 'Mingei' movement, inspired by Yanagi Sōetsu, the celebrated philosopher and art critic, set the tone for contemporary Japan's pride in craftsmanship and des..

Christopher Harding June 13, 2024

Review

Charles Dickens’ creature comforts

Charles Dickens' fondness for animals animates his fiction.

Malcolm Forbes June 12, 2024

Engraving of Venice from the 15th century.

Review

Venice, the serenely unclassifiable city

Venice is the product of such a complex blend of factors, forces and circumstances, it can no longer serve as an exemplar for anything other than itself.

Nicholas Morton June 5, 2024

Australian-born writer Shirley Hazzard in Rome.

Review

Shirley Hazzard’s grace abounding

A new edition of the intimate, decades-long correspondence between Australian writers Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower illustrates a deep shared concern with human connection..

Oliver Soden June 4, 2024

Portrait of the French composer, Olivier Messiaen.

Review

Messiaen’s many mutations

Turangalîla-Symphonie, Messiaen’s 80-minute orchestral spectacular, whose title comes from the Sanskrit word for love, is a wild mélange, and no less loveable for it.

Benjamin Poore June 4, 2024

Christophe Veyrier's terracotta statue of Clio, the Muse of History.

Review

The long-suffering Muse of History

Theoretical approaches only get ancient scholars so far in the quest for historical truths.

Armand D'Angour June 3, 2024

Latvian soldiers with the Latvian and the NATO flag.

Review

NATO’s next act

NATO's 75th anniversary comes at a difficult time for the alliance but if it can learn from its past, adapt to the present, and plan for the future, NATO will survive and thrive.

Emma Salisbury May 29, 2024