Book Reviews
Dear Thief
Samantha Harvey's novel-length letter to a long-lost friend is as brilliant as it is sad.
The Detour
Dutchman Gerbrand Bakker is establishing a foothold as a major European writer.
Submission
In the spirit of "Dr. Strangelove," French novelist Michel Houellebecq puts a brilliantly comic spin on a sensitive topic.
Three Moments of an Explosion
China Miéville latest collection of stories turns the known world upside down to terrifying effect.
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tanizaki's short fiction is a walk on the odd side, featuring a cat, a student dictator and a foot fetishist.
The Illogic of Kassel
Vila-Matas' latest translated novel is a voyage into self, art and literature with a gimpy happy ending.
The Mersault Investigation
Algerian journalist Kamel Daoud beats incredible odds in re-imagining Camus' "The Stranger."
The Making of the Zombie Wars
Aleksandar Hemon takes a sincere crack at screwball comedy, but he swings and misses.
The Country Road
Regina Ullmann's stories, finally translated into English, are creations of other-worldly grace.
Chickens Eat Pasta
British journalist Clare Pedrick's charming Italian memoir is a love affair with country, house and man.
The Book Staff
The Book Staff consists of a handful of writers who contribute regularly review and a few who chip in from time to time. Names are withheld because books matter more than the names of their reviewers.