Nicole Krauss’s love letter to (an imagined) Kafka
A breathtaking novel that bleeds existential urgency from every page
fiction
As leaves fall from the trees, Ali Smith helps us fall into the dreams and fears of her characters.
Marilynne Robinson's vision for democracy
Critics are correct that Robinson doesn't offer an alternative to the Christian Right. But she never claimed to.
The postapocalyptic strength of the Amish
Who survives when technology fails?
Surviving and communing together are sacred gestures.
Doyle’s exuberant writing praised particular things in rich detail. It cut to the pulsing heart of life.
There’s nothing subtle about Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Marxist critique of life in postcolonial Kenya.
A novel at the edge of faith
It’s rare to encounter a female protagonist in theological fiction.
A president walks into a Buddhist purgatory
The new George Saunders novel turns a crazy idea into a deeply moving story.
Who I'd invite to my writers' dinner party