Books
The young Anton Chekhov searches for his voice
In Chekhov’s first stories, rooted in the provincial Russia of the early 1880s, we see various plots and characters take shape that will emerge fully formed in later works
Nostalgia for the 1980s New Romantic scene
Robert Elms recalls the glory days of London’s Blitz Club, where the likes of John Galliano, Boy George and David Bowie danced in outlandish costumes to futuristic electronica
Revenge of the invisible woman: Other People’s Fun, by Harriet Lane, reviewed
Things turn nasty when lonely Ruth finds herself taken advantage of once too often by selfish, glamorous Sookie, a faux friend from distant schooldays
The last straw in Lloyd George’s cash for honours scandal
A peerage for the Randlord Sir Joseph Robinson, convicted of fraud, caused such an outcry in 1922 that even Lloyd George realised it was a step too far
The nearest we’ll ever get to experiencing the horrors of 1914
Robert Cowley’s agonising account of the bloody struggle for Ypres and the stalemate on the Western Front transports us to the very heart of the action
Homage to the herring as king of the fishes
A fascinating compendium of herring-related stories includes the attempted poisoning of St Patrick, the message contained in a Van Gogh still life and the superstitions of Manx mariners
Pride and Prejudice retold in a thousand different ways
Some of the stranger reimaginings involve dragons, zombies, Lydia Bennet as a witch, Lizzy ending up with Charlotte Lucas and the story narrated by Anne de Bourgh
What not to say when visiting Santa’s grotto, and other tips from Ben Schott
Also discussed in the latest miscellany are classic Italian gesticulations, the nuances of graffiti, the hierarchy of Venetian gondoliers and how to deter paparazzi
How Hans Holbein brought portraiture to England
Before Holbein’s arrival in 1526, painting in England tended to be religious in nature. But that soon changed when his portraits spread like an exquisite virus through the country’s elites
John Updike’s letters overflow with lust, ambition, guilt and shame
‘Affairs are cruel, and if they are sin, they carry the punishment with them’, he wrote to one of the many women he cheated on throughout a long life
Jessica was the only Mitford worth taking seriously
But her unfailing humour does help lighten a solid new biography that focuses on her tireless campaign for social justice
China today is following Victorian Britain’s industrial pattern
The relentless pursuit of profit inevitably involves cruel exploitation – whether it’s children in Manchester’s cotton mills or Uighurs in Xinjiang’s industrial plants
An unconventional orphan: Queen Esther, by John Irving, reviewed
At the heart of this vast, sweeping novel is a solitary, determined heroine, who – Jane Eyre-like – is a moral force unbound by conventionalities
Childhood illnesses and instability left Patti Smith yearning for ‘sacred mysteries’
Bedridden for much of her youth, she found consolation in music, and a way ‘into fairyland’ through a treasured poetry anthology
Witches, dragons and the Terrible Deev: a choice of this year’s children’s books
Highlights include boarding school antics, adventures in Persian folklore and a wealth of classic stories – including Hansel and Gretel, retold by Stephen King
Alice in Nightmareland: The Matchbox Girl, by Alice Jolly, reviewed
A mute 12-year-old girl is invited to Dr Asperger’s clinic in 1930s Vienna – but how will ‘idiot’ children fare once the Nazis come to power?
Bats have suffered too long from the ‘Dracula effect’
The more we learn about the only mammals capable of true, sustained flight, the more we should admire them
A Chesterton for our time
This is Greg Sheridan’s third volume of Christian apologetics. The first, Christians, was the case for Christian faith. The second,…
How the teenage Carole King struck gold
Aged 18, she wrote ‘Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow’ which reached No 1 in the US – and the hits kept coming
Cook books for a colourful Christmas
Crab with Calabrian chilli butter, pink-white marbled beetroot labne and carrot, orange and pomegranate salads are among the many good things on offer this year
The new power players running the world
An Italian former political adviser warns of the tech bros and autocrats upending the international order while our elected leaders appease and procrastinate
A Faustian pact: The School of Night, by Karl Ove Knausgaard, reviewed
In Knausgaard’s latest psychological thriller, Kristian Hadeland, an arrogant Norwegian photography student, is implicated in a crime for which there will be harsh consequences
A philosophical quest: A Fictional Inquiry, by Daniele del Giudice, reviewed
The pacing and tone are noirish in this metaphysical detective story, set in Trieste, about the space between writing and life
The pedant’s progress through history
The pompous know-it-all despised by classical philosophers became a stock comic character of 16th-century theatre – and finally a bore to be pitied
Is ‘wind drought’ the latest climate catastrophe?
In an enjoyable guide to wind-related topics, Simon Winchester reports that terrestrial wind speeds are mysteriously declining and we are now in the grip of ‘the Great Stilling’
