More from Books
The hypocrisy of Frank Capra’s populism
The film director’s championship of the little man against the system turns out to have been huckster’s hooey
Haunted by the ghost of Sherlock Holmes
Both Arthur Conan Doyle and Joseph Bell – the inspiration for Holmes – would find themselves dogged by the detective long after he had been killed off
Under deep cover: The Taper Man, by Nick Harkaway, reviewed
It is 1965, and George Smiley is investigating a communist sleeper agent in America who is poised to expose Britain’s operative in Moscow
From bog moss to orchids – the thrilling history of plant evolution
The stories of 16 botanical families build to an epic tale that traces the emergence of plants from the water to their domination of the land
Animal magic: a choice of children’s books
A racehorse, abandoned kittens and a delightful adopted leveret feature alongside birds, fish and insects in this year’s selection
College scandals: Lords of Serendipity, by Randy Boyagoda, reviewed
Students cheat their professors, professors cheat their peers, data is fabricated and fictional discoveries are awarded in this dark campus novel
Sylvester Stallone’s own rags-to-riches story
Damaged at birth and neglected as a child, Stallone – like his creation Rocky Balboa – eventually found success through dogged determination
Janet Malcolm – an original mind inflected by psychoanalysis
Subtle, penetrating and dispassionate, Malcolm betrays a special kind of understanding in her criticism – derived from listening carefully, like a shrink
Even Shakespeare was a slow starter
Fortunately, his reputation does not rest on Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and the Henry VI trilogy, plays he wrote before the age of 30
In praise of Piedmontese wines
Unlike many of Europe’s wine-producing regions, Piedmont is currently awash with money, with Barolo and Barbaresco highly prized
One for the Prefab Sprout diehards
Nige Tassell does his best to track down significant objects, locations and players in the rock band’s existence – but Paddy McAloon is notably absent
Singsong vapidity: The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, by Heather Morris, reviewed
An 11-year-old Jewish girl takes refuge with French Resistance members in Nazi-occupied Paris. But this soothing tale of support and rescue is a travesty
How can we fool ourselves that chatbots feel anything for us?
Caring for someone who can’t care back and whose only interest is exploitation is a mug’s game
Why a frothy Jane Austen adaptation is always imminent
The novels’ classic status guarantees endless new versions, however flawed the interpretations may be
The felled tree that devastated Britain
No one could have predicted the outpourings of anger and grief when a single sycamore on Hadrian’s Wall was cut down in September 2023 by two drunken thugs
Return of the war-weary: Gjak, by Dimosthenis Papamarkos, reviewed
After a bitter conflict with the Turks, Greek soldiers finally arrive home in 1922, traumatised in sometimes unexpected ways
‘An inspiration to all under his command’: the cheerful courage of Brian Franks
The second world war hero was awarded both the DSO and MC. But perhaps his finest achievement was securing the permanent future of the SAS
Evan Gershkovich – a pawn in the complex game of hostage diplomacy
When the American-born journalist was making plans to move to Moscow in 2023, he little thought he’d become a major news story himself
Tribute to Granville Sharpe, the father of the anti-slavery cause in Britain
Horrified by the treatment of a black slave in London in 1765, the 30-year-old clerk of the Ordnance devoted the rest of his life to campaigning for abolition
A Nordic Fawlty Towers: Vaim Hotel, by Jon Fosse, reviewed
What could have induced our unnamed protagonist to stay in a rundown hotel with a forbidding manageress in a bleak coastal Norwegian town?
What future is there for the British village?
Instead of weavers’ cottages, a pub and a cruck-framed barn, the modern village is likely to consist of data centres, bungalows and white Transit vans
Drawing inspiration from the Roman Republic to discourage tyranny
Revolutionary movements in the 17th and 18th centuries were deeply influenced by ancient Roman strategies for separating state powers and fixing checks and balances
How Sweden has kept communism at bay
In 1949, as Russia’s expansionist aspirations became obvious, a secret committee was formed in Sweden to resist invasion at all costs – which remains in force today
The end is nigh: Switzy, by Emma Cline, reviewed
A retired businessman with dementia prepares to make the final journey to Zurich
Dark, dank and mysterious: the haunting strangeness of boglands
The ecologist Merritt Turetsky tells many arresting stories – of fugitives seeking sanctuary, of rare treasures surfacing and murder victims vanishing
