“Werner isn’t surprised to pass the entrance exams easily. He’s more nonplused to find his head measured with calipers and his hair whiter than any of the 60-odd shades of blond on the examiners’ charts. It goes without saying that his eyes are also rated for their shade of blue.” Janet Maslin reviews Anthony Doerr’s new novel.
Two Strangers
Translating Anna Karenina
"How earnest, ironic, condescending, moralistic and simply funny a Tolstoy should the translator inhabit? Perhaps the only way to render Tolstoy’s variable voice is to continue producing ever-varying translations." Masha Gessen looks at the latest English translations of Anna Karenina and breaks down their nuances of word choice and accumulated meaning for The New York Times Book Review, and along the way she questions the novel's most famous line: just how alike are happy families? How can we know?
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Tuesday New Release Day: Walker, Somerville, Towles
Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles is out today, as is This Bright River by Patrick Somerville. And The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (reviewed here) is out in paperback.
Brittle Bird Bones
Recommended Reading: This unsettling, important essay by Kira Jane Buxton at The Rumpus: "He starts to move with a slow hiss. This is his place, his world, and so when he walks he does it slowly, time in his pockets. He keeps his eyes on me, keeps me in my place in his world. I can’t hold the fear back for much longer, the bridle is snapping."
Speaking with Greenwell
Recommended Reading: The Paris Review Daily interviews Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You, possibly the next great gay novel.
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Everyone Sucks in Some Ways
Is it worth rediscovering Mary McCarthy? All the evidence points to yes.
Dispatch from Wisconsin
Lorrie Moore writes about her home state of Wisconsin and its popular Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. Also check out the Millions profile of Moore.
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