Reviews
-
The Loneliest Thing on Earth
Miguel Syjuco’s novel, Ilustrado won the Man Asian Literary Prize while still in manuscript. A Filipino American reviewer considers the fate of Filipino writing in the American literary world.
-
The Storm of Life
In a series of violent encounters, Peter Nathaniel Malae’s debut novel asks, What are we to do with men?
-
The Poetry of Polar Exploration
Elizabeth Bradfield’s passion for her subject and her acuity and great sensitivity to language make Approaching Ice a fine collection that will fit nicely on shelves of natural history books as well as those for poetry.
-
Agaat
In musical prose and multiple perspectives, a South African novel tells the story of a dying woman, a dying farm, and a dying country.
-
This is More than Poetry.
Grotesquery is the nature of the humor in The Black Automaton.… [Douglas] Kearney leads the reader through laughter at the unchangeable rottenness of life, rather than throwing a tearful pity party.
-
Pitt on Parker
The Rumpus assigned “dueling reviews” to the authors of two new short story collections. It didn’t really work out so well.
-
Pedal Pusher
A popular cycling blog spawns a humorous book about mental and physical survival on big city streets.
-
The Drunk Sonnets
Like most winning drunken acts, The Drunk Sonnets is comprised of extremes. I came away from each poem thinking it was either the best damn thing I’d read in years or that it fell completely flat.
-
From Russia with Love
Elif Batuman offers a rogue’s gallery of Russian writers, scholars, and literary characters—the only oddball missing is herself.
-
Who’s the Narcissist?
Emily Gould may be the queen of oversharing—but you’re the one reading this review of her book.
-
The Black Minutes
A crime novel set in a fictional Mexican city delves into the unsolved murders of two decades.