The Classical Goes Old School

Is readability a myth? In an article for The Atlantic Noah Berlatsky argues that there are no “easy” or “difficult” books, or rather that these are relative terms – a book that gives one person fits may be light reading for someone else. His argument pairs interestingly with our own Emily Colette Wilkinson‘s “Difficult Books” series.

Apart from the fact that Anglo-Indian slang is an interesting topic in its own right, you should read this article simply to reward the writer for this lede: “Pyjamas did not exist until the 19th century.”

Recently, the BBC adapted Zadie Smith’s novel NW, converting its tale of four London natives into a ninety-minute chunk of premium television. At The New Statesman, Anna Leskiewicz writes about how the adaptation is fitting in the wake of Brexit.