The Novel of Ideas: Ply by Hernan Diaz
Our review of Hernan Diaz’s new book, "Ply." The post The Novel of Ideas: Ply by Hernan Diaz appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
Reviews
Chicago Review of Books
Independent reviews, strong on literary and translated fiction
2026
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The Cost of a Better Future: On Min Jin Lee’s “American Hagwon”
Education is supposed to be a path toward a better life. But what happens when the path becomes so competitive, expensive, and unforgiving that the pursuit of that better life begins to consume the life itself? In American Hagwon, Min Jin Lee uses the world of private education to explore that…
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The Lives of Others: “Flowers and Insects, Some Birds and a Pair of Spiders”
Our review of Ted Hughes’ newly reissued poetry collection, "Flowers and Insects, Some Birds and a Pair of Spiders" The post The Lives of Others: “Flowers and Insects, Some Birds and a Pair of Spiders” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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The Dystopia We Live In: Sarah Anderson’s “Fallow”
Our review of Sarah Anderson’s debut novel, "Fallow" The post The Dystopia We Live In: Sarah Anderson’s “Fallow” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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I’ll Take the Irish Exit: The Concept of Leaving in Emily St. John Mandel’s “Exit Party”
Indie rock artist Eliza McLamb’s song “Irish Exit” details the slow fade out from intimacy towards the safety of oneself or at least the concept of being known. But what happens when you Irish Exit out from a party and through a revolving door to another version of yourself wearing the skin of…
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“Taipei Story” Is a Homecoming Full of Contradictions
Our review of R.F. Kuang’s new book, "Taipei Story." The post “Taipei Story” Is a Homecoming Full of Contradictions appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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In the Mind of Primate in “Bonobo”
Our review of You-Jeong Jeong’s novel "Bonobo," translated from the Korean by An Seon Jae. The post In the Mind of Primate in “Bonobo” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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The World of Form: Art and Representation in “Life of M”
Our review of Rachel Cusk’s new book, "Life of M." The post The World of Form: Art and Representation in “Life of M” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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Frank Norris’s “The Pit” is as American as Apple Pie
The 250th anniversary year of the United States Declaration of Independence puts one in a frame of mind to reflect on what we consider American values. For some, those values include hard work, innovation, and owning land. For others, the same qualities can devolve into relentless greed…
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Nature, Mysteries, and the Legacy of History in “Sunrise”
Our review of Téa Obreht’s new novel, "Sunrise" The post Nature, Mysteries, and the Legacy of History in “Sunrise” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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In “Guapa,” Freedom is Built, Not Granted
Our review of Saleem Haddad’s novel, "Guapa." The post In “Guapa,” Freedom is Built, Not Granted appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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Owning the Truth in Claire Carusillo’s “The Responsible Party”
Blurring the line between fact and fiction has become ever more relevant in an era of artificially hallucinated images and alternative facts. But there is a long tradition of tapping real events for fictional retellings. Claire Carusillo borrows from her real life family history for the plot behind…
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“Take What You Can” Is a Rich Study of Love, Wealth, and Resentment
Our review of Naima Coster’s new book, "Take What You Can." The post “Take What You Can” Is a Rich Study of Love, Wealth, and Resentment appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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A Head Stuffed with Spirits in “Bedlam”
Our review of Jennifer Higgie’s new novel, "Bedlam." The post A Head Stuffed with Spirits in “Bedlam” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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It’s Not Going to Stop: Claudia Rankine’s “Triage”
Early in Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric, the narrator recalls a conversation with a friend who was dying of cancer. They discussed the films Boogie Nights and Magnolia at great length, she recalls, and agreed that both films depict feelings of bitter disappointment…
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You Are What You Post: Kathryn Jezer-Morton’s “The Story of Your Life”
Since its inception, social media has greedily subsumed our media consumption habits, our concept of the internet, and as Kathryn Jezer-Morton argues, our perceptions of our lives. The Story of Your Life traverses the various facets of life that have become fodder for posting, including chapters on…
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Not Quite Time Travel, Not Quite a Ghost Story in “Beginning Middle End” by Valeria Luiselli
In Valeria Luiselli’s new novel Beginning Middle End, her narrator—a mother writing a novel that sounds awfully similar to Beginning Middle End—determines with her daughter that there are several things her novel-in-progress is not: it’s not a ghost story, it’s not about time travel, and it…
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The Future is the Past is the Future in “Dooneen”
Keith Ridgway’s novel Dooneen follows writer Bartholomew “Mew” Port, a Dubliner returning home to participate in a literary festival, where he instead finds himself in the midst of a great rebellion. Having left his love, Mahmoud, back in London, Port’s mind constantly returns to “Mootie” as both…
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So Is Your Face: A Review of “The Face: A Cultural History” by Fay Bound-Alberti
Our review of Fay Bound-Alberti’s new book, "The Face: A Cultural History." The post So Is Your Face: A Review of “The Face: A Cultural History” by Fay Bound-Alberti appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
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A House is Not a Home: Samantha Paige Rosen’s “Living, Together”
In the eight years that I’ve lived in Chicago, I’ve inhabited four different apartments (five if you count my freshman year dorm room). For a period of time, it felt like every year and a half I was packing my trinkets into bins, rolling suitcases of winter sweaters and summer dresses from one…
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Lives Behind Veils in “It Will Come Back to You”
Sigrid Nunez is such a fixture in American fiction that it’s hard to imagine someone not closely encountering any of her nine novels, which have earned her a National Book Award, a Whiting Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. I wanted to take on this review precisely because I fit that category…
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Sophia Smith Galer’s “How to Kill a Language” and the Race to Save Linguistic Diversity
“Wouldn’t it be easier if we all spoke the same language?” asks author Sophia Smith Galer in the conclusion of her book How to Kill a Language. I’ll be the first to admit that I am woefully monolingual, despite studying Latin in high school and college, and daily Duolingo has barely moved the…
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Love and Human Nature in “A Real Animal”
Our review of Emeline Atwood’s debut novel, "A Real Animal." The post Love and Human Nature in “A Real Animal” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books .
