The Century-Old Book With a Message for This Season
Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain offers a unique antidote to contempt and despair.
A Precise, Cutting Portrayal of Societal Misogyny
In her new book, Cho Nam-Joo captures both the universality of sexism and the specificity of women’s experiences.
The Magic Mountain Saved My Life
When I was young and adrift, Thomas Mann’s novel gave me a sense of purpose. Today, its vision is startlingly relevant.
Ode to Uncertainty
I’m not sleeping and neither are you.
Novel
A poem for Sunday
What Americans Should Read Before the Election
Alexei Navalny’s memoir, in particular, reminds readers how crucial the freedoms to vote and dissent are.
The Five Best Books to Read Before an Election
These titles might lend readers a new perspective ahead of November 5.
Eight Nonfiction Books That Will Frighten You
These eight titles are some of the best the true-crime genre has to offer.
The Year My Father Died
A poem for Wednesday
The Writer Who Understood the True Nature of Obsession
The late Gary Indiana kept the culture of his time close to his chest because it fueled his indignation—and his fixations.
The Virtue of Being Forgotten
A new book argues that privacy is the key to a meaningful existence.
The Genius of Handel’s Messiah
The oratorio is a feat of sustained inspiration arguably unsurpassed in the canon of Western classical music.
Sapphire
A poem for Sunday
The Least-Loved Type of Memoir
Political autobiographies are usually dreck, but some rise above their genre.
Michel Houellebecq Has Some Fresh Predictions. Be Afraid.
In a new novel, France’s famously abrasive author progresses from barbed satire to a spiritual-conversion narrative.
Why Randy Newman Is Least Loved for His Best Work
The musician’s greatest songs are dramatic, psychologically complex, and often very bleak.
Six Political Memoirs Worth Reading
Hackish campaign memoirs shouldn’t indict the entire genre—there are truly excellent books written about power from the inside.
A Dissident Is Built Different
How did Alexei Navalny stand up to a totalitarian regime?
Sunday Morning
A poem
What Elon Musk Really Wants
The Tesla and X mogul has long dreamed of redesigning the world in his own extreme image. Trump may be his Trojan horse.