From what I can tell, I’ve read all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books. And before reading this one, which is a kind-of sequel to his best-seller from 25 years ago, I read a blistering review attacking…
With the American elections on a knife edge, it is worth asking why that is the case. Whatever one thinks of Kamala Harris and the Democrats, Trump represents something that is far, far worse. And…
In 1936, George Orwell planted roses in the village of Wallington. I visited that village a few years ago and saw his cottage, but not the roses. It turns out that Orwell was an avid…
Imagine if Raymond Chandler wrote near-future science fiction. That pretty much sums up this book. A detective who helps the police but is not a part of the police, with incredible fighting skills and a…
I am currently in the Georgian capital, participating in the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature. The subject of the festival is protest — a very timely topic in Georgia with national elections just weeks away….
This is a very strange and deeply unpleasant book about a young man who knew no love growing up in 18th century France, has a virtual super-power in his sense of smell, and becomes a…
An observation: If the first book in a series is called “Agent Seventeen”, wouldn’t the sequel be called something like “Agent Eighteen”? A minor quibble. The important thing to note is that the second in…
As this book received the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award in 2023, I thought I’d give it a go. It is a very silly book. Agent Seventeen — whose real name we never learn —…
If you’re like me, most of what you know about ancient Rome comes from repeated viewings of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Maybe even seeing Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus. I never received a “classical” education when I grew…
Last weekend, as part of our wedding celebration, we invited guests from all over the world to come to Highgate Cemetery and to visit the grave of Karl Marx. (Doesn’t everyone do this?). Here is…