Vladimir Nabokov’s Best Books: A Guide
Clever and dexterous, his writing delights in puzzles, puns and lepidoptera. Here’s where to start. (There’s so much more than “Lolita.”)
Good Mom, Bad Mom, Possessed by Evil Mom
In Jennifer McMahon’s new novel, “My Darling Girl,” a woman must protect her family from a terrible darkness lurking in her abusive mother.
Ghost Stories!
A collection of spooky short fiction by Edith Wharton and a historical nonfiction narrative about a woman who claimed to be haunted.
Jada Pinkett Smith on Will Smith, Chris Rock and Her New Book, ‘Worthy’
In her new memoir, “Worthy,” she answers big questions, poses others to readers and sets the record straight on her marriage to Will Smith.
Writing the Biography of America’s First Black Woman Novelist
In “The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts,” Gregg Hecimovich pieces together the story of a woman who fled slavery, and whose manuscript was lost for more than 150 years.
Book Review: ‘Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind,’ by Molly McGhee
In Molly McGhee’s debut, “Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind,” debt-laden citizens are recruited to “audit” others’ dreams — all in the name of productivity.
Book Review: ‘My Work’ by Olga Ravn
In her vivid second novel, “My Work,” Olga Ravn evokes the disorientation of new parenthood.
Louise Glück, 1943-2023: 5 Great Poems to Read
The American writer, who won a Nobel Prize in 2020, wrote with cool clarity and often puckish wit.
Louise Meriwether Dies at 100; in 1970, a New, Black Literary Voice
Writing of life in Harlem, she emerged at the same time as Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou but never achieved their fame, though James Baldwin was an admirer.
Louise Glück, Nobel-Winning Poet Who Explored Trauma and Loss, Dies at 80
Acclaimed as one of America’s greatest living writers, she blended deeply personal material with themes of mythology and nature.
Colette Rossant, 91, Dies; Gave French Cuisine a Global Flourish
A prominent cookbook author, critic and memoirist, she reinvigorated the dishes of her native France with a globe-trotter’s sensibility.
The Books We’re Looking Forward to for the Rest of the Year
New fiction from Michael Cunningham, Sigrid Nunez and others; a candid Mitt Romney biography; and memoirs by Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears and more.
Frankfurt Book Fair Cancels Award Ceremony for Palestinian Author
Organizers cited the Israel-Hamas war as the reason for stepping back from honoring a novel about the 1949 murder of a Palestinian girl by Israeli soldiers.
'Curlfriends: New In Town' reminds us that there can be positives of middle school
The first volume in author-artist Sharee Miller's debut YA graphic novel series reminds us of the many possibilities and excitements interwoven within the challenging years of early teenagerhood.
(Image credit: Little, Brown Ink )
The Armor of Light
UnCovered review by Collette Jones, ACLS Egg Harbor City Branch
Ken Follett is a master of historical fiction, and his latest Kingsbridge novel, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, is no exception [bit.ly/46qnG6E]. Set in England and France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the book tells the story of a diverse cast of characters as they navigate the tumultuous times of the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution. The book begins in 1791, with the French Revolution in full swing. Follett introduces us to three main characters: Eliza Williams, a young woman from Kingsbridge, England, who is traveling to France to join her husband; René Bouchard, a French soldier who is fighting for the Revolution; and Carla Lavidère, an aristocratic French woman who is fleeing the violence of the Revolution.
Eliza’s journey to France takes her through the heart of the Revolution, and she witnesses firsthand the brutality and chaos of the time. When she finally arrives in Paris, she finds that her husband has been killed. She is then taken in by René, who helps her to find a new life in France. Carla, meanwhile, is forced to flee her home when it is attacked by revolutionaries. She takes refuge with a family of peasants, but she is eventually captured and imprisoned. While in prison, she meets René, and they fall in love.
The three main characters are all drawn into the conflict between the revolutionaries and the old order. Eliza and René become involved in a plot to overthrow the French government, while Carla is forced to choose between her loyalty to her family and her love for René. In addition to the main characters, Follett also populates his novel with a number of other memorable characters, including: William Hamleigh, a wealthy English factory owner who is determined to crush the labor movement; Rob Jakes, a skilled craftsman who is leading the fight for workers’ rights; Patience Lovell, a Quaker woman who is working to improve the lives of the poor; Edward Williams, Eliza’s brother, who is a gifted engineer.
First significant fact, it is the fifth and final book in his Kingsbridge series, which chronicles the history of a fictional town in England over the course of several centuries. The series has been praised for its historical accuracy and its ability to bring the past to life. THE ARMOR OF LIGHT is set during the Industrial Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, two of the most transformative periods in human history.
The novel is also significant for its exploration of themes such as class conflict, religious tolerance, and the importance of education. Follett shows how the Industrial Revolution led to a widening gap between the rich and the poor, and how new technologies such as the spinning jenny displaced workers and led to social unrest. He also explores the tensions between different religious groups, and the importance of religious tolerance in a pluralistic society. Finally, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT is a celebration of the human spirit. It shows how ordinary people can achieve great things, even in the face of adversity. Follett’s characters are complex and well-developed, and their stories are both inspiring and heartbreaking.
Follett’s descriptions of the new factories and machines, the social unrest and political upheaval, and the battles and sieges are all incredibly detailed and realistic. It explores the impact of technological change on society. Follett shows how the spinning jenny and other new technologies led to the displacement of workers and the rise of a new social class, the factory owners.
You may remember Ken Follett’s blockbusting Kingsbridge series that began with THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, and bestselling title. The Kingsbridge Novels are Ken Follett’s classic historical masterpieces. Set in the city of Kingsbridge, Follett brings his rich expertise to this immersive and epic saga – full of ambition, love, power and family conflict. The story begins in THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, which centers on the struggles of Prior Phillip and his mason-turned-architect Tom as they attempt to build the greatest gothic cathedral in the medieval world.
The sequel, WORLD WITHOUT END, is set two centuries later and follows the lives of four children who witness two men being killed the day after Halloween. From that moment, their lives are bound together by love and revenge, as they confront the Black Death and the beginning of the Hundred Years War.
The saga continues in the third novel, A COLUMN OF FIRE. Beginning in 1558, it charts the star-crossed romance between Will Willard and Margery Fitzgerald over half a century. Meanwhile, Europe turns against England when Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen and finds herself beset by plots to dethrone her. The Pillars of the Earth, starring Rufus Sewell and Eddie Redmayne, and World without End, starring Cynthia Nixon, have been adapted for television.
Khaled Khalifa, Syrian Novelist ‘Exiled at Home,’ Is Dead at 59
His books, laced with humor and often banned in his country, chronicle centuries of strife in the Middle East, earning critical praise and an international readership.
LeVar Burton to Host National Book Awards
The actor and literacy advocate will host the ceremony after the National Book Foundation dropped its original host, Drew Barrymore.
Book Review: ‘Dialogue With a Somnambulist,’ by Chloe Aridjis; ‘Dearborn,’ by Ghassan Zeineddine; ‘Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare,’ by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto
New fiction by Chloe Aridjis, Ghassan Zeinnedine and Megan Kamalei Kakimoto ranges from the fabulist to the vaguely autofictional.
How Jesmyn Ward Is Reimagining Southern Literature
The novelist is competing with giants like William Faulkner, while mapping territory all her own.
Graphic Review: ‘Sex and Rage,’ by Eve Babitz
Reading Eve Babitz, a “buttoned up” writer discovers she has more in common with the protagonist than she thinks.
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