Repetitive strain: On the Calculation of Volume, Books I and II, by Solvej Balle, reviewed
In an astonishing multi-volume novel where the unthinkable becomes entirely credible, Tara Selter, an antiquarian bookseller, finds herself trapped in one remorselessly recurring November day
Douglas Cooper – a complex character with a passion for Cubism
Prone to paranoia and tantrums, the critic and collector made many enemies, but his firsthand knowledge of Léger, Picasso and Braque also won the admiration of art historians
How the US military became world experts on the environment
In its bid to become a global superpower, the US vastly increased its number of overseas bases in the 1960s, giving it unparalleled knowledge of Earth’s most extreme habitats
‘Sitting the 11-plus was the most momentous event of my life’ – Geoff Dyer
‘Everything else that has happened couldn’t have happened were it not for that’, says Dyer, in a funny, moving account of growing up in postwar England
‘Poor devils’: the hopeful scribblers of the French Revolution
Buoyed by visions of immortality, Parisian hacks were ready to ‘explode’ in revolutionary fervour, but those who didn’t perish in the Terror would often struggle to make a living
Time travellers’ tales: The Book of Records, by Madeleine Thien, reviewed
Sheltering from a flood in a labyrinthine ‘nothing place’, Lina opens a secret door to neighbouring rooms – where she finds three revered historical figures whose life stories she shares
Why going nuclear is humanity’s only hope
Powering a rising world population up to a decent standard of living is something only nuclear reactors can do – and it’s mad to think otherwise, argues Tim Gregory
It seemed like the end of days: the eerie wasteland of 14th-century Europe
The Black Death combined with the Hundred Years’ War left the Continent a desolate world, full of terror and foreboding
‘I secreted a venom which spurted out indiscriminately’ – Muriel Spark
Frances Wilson’s mesmerising biography of one of the past century’s most singular writers is especially enlightening on the ‘domestic savagery’ often required of a great artist
Did No. 10 clear Lord Hermer’s ‘Nazi jibe’ speech?
Another day, another bit of bad press for the Labour party. Attorney General Lord Hermer sparked outrage when he compared…
Trump bids Elon ‘the DoGEfather’ farewell
Sporting a black eye and a shirt with the words “The DoGE Father” on the chest, Elon Musk joined President…
I Dream of Lamu
An hour after the propeller plane lifts away from Wilson, Nairobi’s regional airport, it is arching over the blues and…
Melania Trump is phoning it in
There’s something admirable about Melania Trump’s commitment to doing absolutely nothing. While America obsesses over her husband’s latest provocations, the…
Dan Patrick’s war on weed gummies could endanger Texas Republicans
In a press conference that veered into awkward sketch comedy in Austin, Texas, yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick railed at…
Why Gen Z is converting to Catholicism
Both of my parents are Jewish, as were theirs, going as far back as anybody remembers – probably to Abraham.…
Why do police accept criminal drug use?
Another day, another sign of the British state’s acceptance of criminality. This time it’s the news that almost half of people caught…
It’s the last chance for levelling up
‘The policymakers that live in London and stuff, they don’t really care about a small town like Rochdale. I just…
Lord Hermer is preposterously wrong about international law
Lord Hermer KC has done it again. Delivering RUSI’s annual security lecture this week, the Attorney General set out to…
How can France ban outdoor smoking?
Faced with a cost-of-living crisis, rising delinquency, failing public services, and riots in the suburbs, the French government has finally…
The executive mum
It is a Friday afternoon in the office. About 3.45pm and productivity is swiftly on the downward trend for the…
The real reason why academics write in gobbledygook
Why can’t academics write properly? Why can’t they express themselves in language that normal people can understand? These are questions…
