Reviews
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“Wise Men,” by Stuart Nadler
In a certain kind of story, characters reflect and explore the financial world outside their narrative. A population left destitute by the American Civil War, for example, found hope in 1867 when Horatio Alger published Ragged Dick, a myth promising…
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Animal Eye by Paisley Rekdal
Trista Edwards reviews Paisley Rekdal’s Animal Eye today in Rumpus Poetry.
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Mayakovsky’s Revolver by Matthew Dickman
Brachah Goykadosh reviews Matthew Dickman’s Mayakovsky’s Revolver today in Rumpus Poetry.
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“Ghosting,” by Kirby Gann
There’s a lot of words for book reviewers to throw around when faced with a novel that’s bound to shake readers to the core—multilayered, complex, riveting. We use these words poignantly in some cases; by force of habit in others;…
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Thank You For the Window Office by Maged Zaher
Gina Myers reviews Maged Zaher’s Thank You For the Window Office today in Rumpus Books.
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“Mary Coin,” by Marisa Silver
Marisa Silver in her new novel, Mary Coin, takes all this on and the result is a compelling, hard-to-put down story. As the cover of the novel suggests, the story emanates from the photograph, “Migrant Mother,” taken by Dorothea Lange…
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“Stupid Children,” by Lenore Zion
Reminiscent of a protagonist in an early Haruki Murakami novel, Jane is a passive agitator, an active observer.
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“Fight Song,” by Joshua Mohr
Fight Song, Joshua Mohr’s fourth novel, is a suburban picaresque about a character cursed with a name that highlights his own mediocrity and the futility of his efforts: Bob Coffen. In line with the schlubby antiheroes of Sam Lipstye and…
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The Emily Dickinson Reader by Paul Legault
At their best, love and translation share some contradictions, including selfishness and generosity. Translation is impossible, or at least not very good, without a passionate desire to own the material and leave one’s mark on it. At the same time,…
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“In Partial Disgrace,” by Charles Newman
To get to Cannonia, the setting for Charles Newman’s long-awaited and posthumously published novel, In Partial Disgrace, you’ll have a choice of gigs: “fantailed or tub-bodied; a chariotee, rockaway, or volonte; a Stanhope, tilbury, or cabriolet; a victoria, barouche or…
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“How Literature Saved My Life,” by David Shields
Something similar about desire and resistance to desire is going on with David Shields, a core theme begun in Reality Hunger and now extended with How Literature Saved My Life. Dramatizing uncertainty, in authors Shields devours and lauds (think Geoff…
