The Tortured Legacy of Yambo Ouologuem
Five decades ago, an award-winning Malian author disappeared from public life after being accused of plagiarism. Now, his ambiguous novel is being released, and evaluated, in new light.
Book Review: ‘Germany 1923,’ by Volker Ullrich
In his latest book, the German historian Volker Ullrich describes a nation buffeted by poverty, hyperinflation and political extremism, but managing — for the moment — to thwart Hitler’s ascent.
Book Review: ‘Hillbilly Highway,’ by Max Fraser, and ‘Black Folk,’ by Blair LM Kelley
As autoworkers strike across the country, “Hillbilly Highway” and “Black Folk” offer two views of the search for a better life by working-class migrants in the middle of the 20th century.
Wes Anderson on Roald Dahl and ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’
For years, the director puzzled over an adaptation of “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” Then he let the characters say things they weren’t meant to.
Idea, Instagram’s Favorite Bookseller, Is Ready to Go Offline
Idea, the fashion industry’s go-to dealer of rare art books, is sick of social media, so it’s moving to something more physical: a bookstore.
'People Collide' is a 'Freaky Friday'-type exploration of the self and persona
Isle McElroy's novel covers a deep exploration of marriage, love, and the ways we know one another — while also touching on how so much of how we navigate the world depends on how it sees us.
(Image credit: Harper Via)
Jeremy Silman, Author of Best-Selling Chess Books, Dies at 69
Writing in a conversational and colloquial style, he offered practical advice on how to cut down on mistakes, the most difficult part of the game to master.
Yomi Adegoke Looks at Anonymous Assault Allegations, With Nuance
The British writer Yomi Adegoke initially supported the anonymous spreadsheets that began appearing online in 2017. A journey to a more ambivalent position inspired her debut novel, “The List.”
The dystopian suspense 'Land of Milk and Honey' satisfies all manner of appetites
Set in the near future, C Pam Zhang's atmospheric novel centers on a chef who takes a job at a tech entrepreneur's isolated compound after smog kills most of Earth's plant and animal species.
(Image credit: Penguin Random House)
Book Review: ‘The Most Secret Memory of Men,’ by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
“The Most Secret Memory of Men,” by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, examines a plagiarism case and the place of African literature in the West.
Book Review: ‘The Times,’ by Adam Nagourney
The new book by Adam Nagourney offers an in-depth look at how a newspaper navigated reporting challenges, financial crises and the transition to the digital era.
Book Review: ‘The Hungry Season,’ by Lisa M. Hamilton
In Lisa M. Hamilton’s new book, a Hmong refugee turns a patch of arid farmland into a kingdom.
Book Review: ‘Devil Makes Three,’ by Ben Fountain
Ben Fountain’s new novel, “Devil Makes Three,” is a study of opportunism and deception during a political crisis.
Book Review: ‘Fear Is Just a Word,’ by Azam Ahmed
“Fear Is Just a Word,” by the New York Times reporter Azam Ahmed, tells the story of a woman determined to avenge her daughter’s death at the hands of a drug cartel.
Mister Magic
Mister Magic
Let me start with a vocabulary lesson. “Analog horror” is a sub-genre of horror fiction that utilizes the aesthetics of VHS tapes and TV broadcasts from the 80s and 90s. It’s basically the quirky younger sister to found footage, but while found footage horror relies on the reactions to the horror off-screen (like how in the Blair Witch Project we never actually see the titular witch, but we see and hear the characters’ reactions) analog is more focused on the slow-burn marriage of uncanniness and dread. It’s a sub-genre that is very unique to the 21st century and very internet-based, and one I am intimately familiar with since I was born in 1997 and came of age alongside its advent on YouTube.
MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White is amazing because it manages to capture the uneasiness, uncanniness, and fear of analog horror without the added aid of visuals. Centered on the mysterious cancellation of beloved children’s program “Mister Magic,” the novel introduces us to the now adult cast of the show as they struggle with adulthood and find solace in their skewered memories of the show. However, the thing about this show is it doesn’t seem to exist. No recordings of it can be found, no one knows who directed or produced it, and no one remembers what channel it was on. Both cast and cultishly devoted fans alike only have fractured memories of the moral lessons hammered into them by the show. Moral lessons the adult cast now question. Horror aside, MISTER MAGIC is an interesting dissection and critique of children’s programming and modern-day parenting as well as an exploration of childhood trauma. The novel is certainly weird and eccentric- this is horror after all- but at its core it’s deeply emotional, existential, and atmospheric. It’s a must-read for weird book lovers and anyone who grew up reading Creepypastas.
unCovered Review by Samantha LeRoy, ACLS Mays Landing Branch
Book Review: ‘The End of Eden,’ by Adam Welz
“The End of Eden” is Adam Welz’s moving, chilling elegy for biodiversity as we know it.
Book Review: ‘Night Watch,’ by Jayne Anne Phillips
Her new novel, “Night Watch,” is a mother-daughter story set in a West Virginia mental institution.
Book Review: ‘What About Men?,’ by Caitlin Moran
A prolific feminist turns her sights to the opposite sex.
Book Review: ‘The Unsettled,’ by Ayana Mathis
Her second novel, “The Unsettled,” follows three generations in a family divided between the North and the South in 1980s America.
Book Review: ‘People Collide,’ by Isle McElroy
Isle McElroy’s second novel, “People Collide,” puts a pair of bored newlyweds in each other’s shoes.
Pages
Search this Site
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
