Little Is Known

Ashwin Sanghi first published his book, The Rozabal Line, on Lulu.com under the anagram Shawn Haigins. A revised edition of the book was published by Westland Ltd. & Tranquebar Press much later, and garnered controversy with readers pointing out similarities between its plot and the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai. Sanghi's response? "Any book based on research could have real life commonalities."

"Books: As with food and clothing, they’re a commodity that elicits status anxiety for many people, particularly the insecure. And wherever there is status anxiety, there are potential minefields. We need to tread with the lightness of meringue." Henry Alford explains the etiquette of books for The New York Times.

Ron Charles calls Ann Patchett's new State of Wonder "another dazzling work" with touches of Heart of Darkness and The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Did his Nobel Prize win a couple years ago pique your interest in Patrick Modiano? Here's another essay to sate it. In The Paris Review, Alice Kaplan examines his literary project.