Books
The dilemmas and difficulties of artists through the ages
In his analysis of 20 masterpieces from prehistory to the present, Lachlan Goudie proves a born guide to the creative process
Looking back in anguish: Good Good Loving, by Yvvette Edwards, reviewed
Close to death, Ellen recalls her 49-year marriage to philandering Clyde and wonders what she’s done to deserve her children’s censure
With no coherent strategy, Britain seems perpetually adrift in the world
But rather than stagger from one global crisis to another, we could unite the disparate tools we still possess and truly take back control, says Jack Watling
Riddled with contradictions: the enigma of Jan Morris
The self-made woman remained obstinately masculine; the admirer of imperialism was a passionate Welsh nationalist; and the travel writer could be both superficial and profound
Tales of quiet intensity: The News from Dublin, by Colm Toibin, reviewed
Familiar themes emerge in this third collection of short stories, such as neglect, bereavement and the Irish diaspora in the US
Two Tokyo misfits: Hooked, by Asako Yuzuki, reviewed
Eriko and Shoko, both lonely 30-year-olds, have difficulty conforming to the intricate social rules ‘ensnaring’ Japanese women
James Baldwin – dogged by painful uncertainties throughout life
Often snared in emotional turmoil, he never knew who his father was, and resisted being pigeonholed on questions of race, blame and responsibility
The misery of working with Chuck Berry
The ‘father of rock and roll’ was cantankerous, deceitful and sly – and partnering him on stage left Keith Richards almost catatonic with stress
The mystery of what makes us special remains unsolved
After spending six years investigating where consciousness comes from, Michael Pollan finds no overarching explanation
Dark family secrets: Repetition, by Vigdis Hjorth, reviewed
With a haunting crime at its heart, this bitter, brief novel leaves one wondering uncomfortably whether it might be a memoir in disguise
The ‘ecocide’ that is Canada’s shame
British Columbia’s most ancient trees continue to be ruthlessly felled, despite ecologists’ warnings of the effect on global climate
No Hungarian rhapsody: Lázár, by Nelio Biedermann, reviewed
A dark forest swallows up successive generations of an entitled Hungarian family in a story imbued with symbolism that spans two world wars
Why Hitler’s suave architect escaped the noose at Nuremberg
Albert Speer was treated leniently because he was softly-spoken, well-dressed and ‘much the most appealing’ of all the defendants, according to Telford Taylor, one of the prosecutors
Will colonialism’s psychological legacy ever cease to be a source of pain?
The British Empire’s abiding bequest has not been infrastructure and administrative systems but a memory of repression that continues to pass down through generations, says Simukai Chiguda
A sinister strangeness: City Like Water, by Dorothy Tse, reviewed
A beloved native city is in a state of flux, slipping from normal into nightmare as freedom vanishes, time collapses and people throw themselves from rooftops
Is it better to be reasonable or rational?
As well as being flexible and open-minded, reasonable people are concerned about what’s of true value – whereas the rational may simply be interested in their own tangible gains
The history of Moscow was one of extreme violence from the start
The Mongol massacres of 1238 were followed by reigns of terror, plague, fire, revolution and purges – as well as constant hostility to Kyiv
Thoughtful fantasy: Travel Light, by Naomi Mitchison, reviewed
Borrowing from Arthuriana, Norse sagas, fairy tales and legends, Mitchison’s novel modulates midway between magic and realism
W.H. Auden’s virtuosity masked careful craftsmanship
Poetry came so easily to Auden that at times he had consciously to ‘keep the diction and rhythm within a hairsbreadth of prose without becoming it’
A revival of Alan Bennett’s early work is long overdue
Until the archive is made available, the diaries will have to do. But some superb dramas from the past century are sadly missed
Fractured loyalties: The Tribe, by Michael Arditti, reviewed
A powerful Jewish family flee Salonika in 1912 – only to fall apart in France on the eve of the second world war
Blockchain fantasies: My Bags Are Big, by Tibor Fischer, reviewed
Everyone in Dubai’s confected utopia is reinventing themselves and failing miserably in this dark satire on greed, stupidity and regret
Nintendo and the plumber who conquered the world
Keza MacDonald describes how Mario, the company’s mascot, became not only an icon of Japanese culture but a global hero
Lloyd Blankfein – guiding light of Goldman Sachs
While considered a safe pair of hands during the financial crisis of 2007, Blankfein skirts around some of Goldman’s more controversial decisions at the time
The world destroyed by madness: Howl, by Howard Jacobson, reviewed
Apart from the atrocity of 7 October 2023 itself, it is the reaction of neighbours and even family that appals Jacobson’s protagonist in a novel that still manages to be darkly comic
