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The Longest Chapter

The Longest Chapter

Literary fiction, poetry, first editions, classics…

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Tag: literature

A discerning novel of ethnic identity

June 5, 2020 ~ The Longest Chapter

In "Days of Distraction," Alexandra Chang skillfully evokes the world of her Chinese American narrator, exploring themes of discrimination, self-perception and inter-racial relationships to poignant effect.

My year of reading

December 26, 2019December 26, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter

Here at The Longest Chapter, instead of calling out best books of 2019, I've gathered a more personal list.

Shannon Pufahl’s “On Swift Horses”

December 3, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter

This fiction debut features gambling lost souls in the American West during the 1950s. It's written with gorgeous prose. Here's what the story is about.

Books I’m recommending

November 14, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

I've captured here the novels I mentioned on NPR member station WOSU All Sides Weekend Books that aired November 8, 2019.

A new novel inspired by CIA documents

September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

In “The Secrets We Kept,” Lara Prescott unfolds a little-known, Cold War story about Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago.” It’s historical fiction that’s entertaining, with a colorful cast of characters.

A symphony for besieged Leningrad

December 14, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich immortalized the WWII siege of Leningrad with his 7th symphony. These books tell the story.

A selection of new books

November 7, 2018November 28, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

Here are a few titles I’ve gathered from my ongoing hunt for good books, including novels to anticipate in 2019, more Lucia Berlin stories, and the 2017 Prix Goncourt winner.

The art of restitution and deception

March 29, 2018March 29, 2018 ~ The Longest Chapter

Mark Sarvas’s novel "Memento Park" tells the story of a Hungarian painting that was traded to the Nazis during World War II in exchange for freedom, and of its return to the rightful owner.

An old good book for the beach

June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 4 Comments

"Birdsong" by Stephen Faulks is a powerful epic not to be overlooked and a stunning portrayal of courage and redemption.

This unhappy Greek family

April 30, 2017July 31, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 4 Comments

In Colm Tóibín’s new novel, the Greek tragedy of Agamemnon’s murder by wife Clytemnestra is told with great power and vivid imagining. Here’s what you can expect.

Great books go a step further

March 29, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 7 Comments

What's the difference between a good book and a great one? Jonathan Safran Foer answers in an introduction to "The Fixer" by Bernard Malamud.

Stories of corruption, madness and thievery

March 18, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 3 Comments

Don't be quick to shy away from "The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead" because it's short stories. The collection offers a distinguished lot, full of crime and mayhem.

New this month

March 1, 2017March 18, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 2 Comments

Here's a quick look at three books to be published in March that promise hours of good reading. Two are novels, and one is a non-fiction account of a young man who walked away from civilized life to live alone in the woods of Maine.

Letters from bewilderment

January 18, 2017 ~ The Longest Chapter

This new collection of essays -- "The Correspondence" -- is so smartly entertaining I read many parts of it out loud to savor the enjoyment. Here's a glimpse of J. D. Daniels' debut.

A bibliomaniac’s burden

September 1, 2016 ~ The Longest Chapter ~ 3 Comments

I became determined in my need to find the right reading copy of Pat Barker's World War I novel, "Regeneration." Here's what happened that afternoon.

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