Ludwig Hohl belongs in the line of such lucidly contentious thinkers as Karl Kraus, Pascal, and Lichtenberg, commentators whose writing oscillates between the traditions of literature and philosophy.
Tess Lewis
Book Review: “What You Can See From Here” – Hopefully Romantic
There is enough candor and humor, along with a handful of bracingly moody characters, to make Mariana Leky’s vision of perpetual love compelling.
Arts Feature: Recommended Books, 2020
An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics.
Book Review: “Kraft” — A Pitch Perfect Satire of Neoliberal Dreamin’
A powerful allegory for our techno-crazed, consumption-addicted, soul-crushing times.
Recommended Books, 2019
An eclectic round-up of our favorite books of the year from our critics.
Book Review: “The Sweetest Fruits” — Stories in Order to Live
Reading The Sweetest Fruits is like looking at the back of an oriental rug in which the pattern is rather more indistinct than the front but the colors much richer and more vivid.
Book Review: “Stigmata of Bliss” — From the Master of the Tersely Disquieting
Klaus Merz’s cunning, compressed prose invites us to listen for the sounds of the inexpressible, the other side of life.
Book Review: Philippe Jaccottet’s “Seedtime” — Exploring the Inherent Mysteries of the World As It Is
French writer Philippe Jaccottet’s ever-questioning poetic analyses of haunting ephemeral perceptions are carried on with such scruple and sincerity that, for his European peers, he has become the model of literary integrity.
Book Review: “Back to Back” — A Powerful Portrait of East German Trauma, Personal and Political
Using her family’s history as a springboard, Julia Franck has created exemplary figures forced to navigate the treacherous shoals of her country’s history.
Book Review: “Maybe This Time” — The Fragility of Personal Identities in Surreal Worlds
The nine tales found in “Maybe This Time” chart the unnerving psychological transformations of its characters. Its style forces us to reconsider our ways of reading and our childlike dependency on narrative authority.