Jonathan Franzen Is Having More Fun Than His Critics

Jonathan Franzen’s fifth novel, Purity, appears, like his previous one, Freedom, amid the media equivalent of the fog of war. There have been trumpeted interviews and fatuous raves, but also misleading headlines, Twitter diatribes, backlashes to the backlash and a deluge of emptily sassy online retorts aggregating all of the above. Low-key irony and a stickler’s insistence on saying exactly what one thinks have never played well in the press, so this author—whose original sin consists of being inanely praised in the New York Times Book Review and declared a “Great American Novelist” on the cover of Time—has only succeeded in compounding the murk. Someone has to be the face of every (real and imagined) injustice writers face when negotiating the publishing establishment; it’s so much more fun to hate a face.  Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2015-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Critics applaud McEwan's foetus tale

The weekend's reviews of Ian McEwan's latest novel Nutshell (Jonathan Cape), out on Thursday (1st September), have applauded the boldness of its central conceit, which sees a foetus akin to a modern-day Hamlet narrate the story of his father's murder from within the womb. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Critic's Notebook: In Books on Donald Trump, Consistent Portraits of a High-Decibel Narcissist

Six of the recent books about the Republican presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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So critics slayed Suicide Squad. But if you love it, then defend it

OPINION: Any time I publish a harsh pan of a movie, as I did with Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, folks pop up on Twitter and Facebook and in the comments on the piece itself to insist that they'll see the movie anyway, and that audiences will make up their own minds,... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2016-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Goodreads reviews show how gender informs book criticism

Analysis of book reviews on Goodreads has revealed some intriguing patterns concerning authorship and the popularity of reviews among peers, reports Robert Blincoe. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child': What do critics love about it?

Reviews for the upcoming 'Potter' stage play are so far very positive. What about the show has so impressed reviewers? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Franzen guest of honour at Fnac's first festival

The leading French cultural product chain Fnac will hold its first book fair on 2nd-4th September at the Carreaux du Temple in central Paris. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Coe honoured by France

Jonathan Coe has been awarded prestigious French honour Officier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (The Order of Arts and Letters) from the French Ambassador, who named him "France’s favourite British writer". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two new Evie Wyld novels to Jonathan Cape

Jonathan Cape has acquired two new novels from British-Australian novelist and major literary prize-winner Evie Wyld. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Critics praise 'epic' Cursed Child first preview

Theatre critics have responded enthusiastically to the first part of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which previewed at London’s Palace theatre last night (7th June). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unbound to publish Jonathan Coe fable

Crowdfunding platform Unbound is launching The Broken Mirror, a collaboration between award-winning and bestselling English novelist Jonathan Coe and the Italian artist Chiara Coccorese. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Book Club Practices Better Living Through Criticism

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of Better Living Through Criticism, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling's latest wizardry prompts criticism from Native Americans

Harry Potter fans in Native American communities are disappointed with the depiction of their cultures and history in the British novelist's latest stories.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Taplin’s Drive for a ‘Digital Renaissance’: DBW Keynote

Jonathan Taplin—producer of 'Mean Streets'—will lead Digital Book World's keynotes with a warning: publishing may be 'sleeping through a revolution.' The post Jonathan Taplin’s Drive for a ‘Digital Renaissance’: DBW Keynote appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Sacks Wins 2016 Templeton Prize

Sacks was recognized for his work and writings that emphasize a respect for all faiths and defend the compatibility of religion and science. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ku Klux Klan rally in California erupts in violence; 3 stabbed, 1 critically

Three people were stabbed Saturday, one critically, after a small group of Ku Klux Klan members staging an anti-immigrant rally in Southern California clashed with a larger gathering of counter-protesters, police said. The violence erupted shortly after noon in Anaheim's Pearson Park, about 3... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Active Interest Media’s Jonathan Dorn on New Marketing-Services Unit

AIM's SVP of digital and creative services talks to Folio: about launching a marketing services unit as an enthusiast publisher in today's industry. The post Active Interest Media’s Jonathan Dorn on New Marketing-Services Unit appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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APNewsBreak: Criticized Book on Washington Slave Pulled

The children's publisher Scholastic Inc. is pulling a new picture book about George Washington's slaves Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2016-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Critical edition of Mein Kampf hits Spiegel bestseller list

The heavily annotated reissue of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda work Mein Kampf has become an instant bestseller in Germany. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook Against Free Basics' Critics

Is Free Basics an altruistic effort to connect the world to opportunities, or a neocolonial race to control and capitalize on new markets?Today, Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy opinion article in The Times Of India defending his attempt to connect millions of people to the Internet via a... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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