Reviews

Review

Great Books: Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie

Theodore Dreiser’s no-frills, naturalist style puts the American dream at the turn of the century firmly under the microscope in this pointed novel about the futility of escaping o..

D. J. Taylor March 10, 2023

Review

No more worlds to conquer

This re-release of Richard Stoneman’s rich and picturesque survey of the Alexander legend, first published in 2010, reflects the enduring fascination with the world-conqueror’s fab..

Armand D'Angour March 9, 2023

Review

Great Books: Jaroslav Hašek’s The Good Soldier Švejk

Hailed as one of the first anti-war novels, Hašek’s trailblazing book still packs a punch and raises a smile more than a century after publication.

Malcolm Forbes March 3, 2023

Review

First in their field — the men and women possessed by the spirit of adventure

Alexander Maitland’s passion for discovery comes alive in this illuminating, yet uneven book, about the dauntless men and women who have explored our planet.

Tim Marshall March 2, 2023

Review

Great Books: Boris Pilnyak’s The Bare Year

Boris Pilnyak's lyrical and surreal account of life in post-Revolutionary Russia brings vividly to life the all-pervading turbulence of war and its harrowing impact on the individu..

Jade McGlynn February 24, 2023

Review

In defence of architecture

Witold Rybczynski overturns familiar Modernist orthodoxies and gives due weight to older but still vibrant traditions.

Clive Aslet February 24, 2023

Review

Are we ready for the new humans?

Siddhartha Mukherjee tells the story of cells, those fundamental units of life, mixing trademark reflections with historical vignettes and scientific lucidity.

Kevin Davies February 17, 2023

Review

Great Books: Virginia Woolf’s Flush: A Biography

The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s spaniel is the subject of this unexpectedly profound and witty book.

Daisy Dunn February 10, 2023

Review

How Classics captured the Chinese imagination

This original and provocative book explores contemporary China’s love of Greek and Roman classics — and their unexpected use in supporting the regime’s political agenda.

Michael Sheridan February 10, 2023