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Best Book of 1928: Quicksand
Lucy Ives
Lucy Ives argues that Nella Larsen – author of ‘terse, obsessively observed fiction’ – penned the best book of 1928.
Best Book of 1962: The Pumpkin Eater
Nicole Flattery
Nicole Flattery on why Penelope Mortimer’s The Pumpkin Eater is the best book of 1962.
Best Book of 1982: The Years of Lyndon Johnson
Beth Gardiner
Beth Gardiner on why volume one of Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson series is the best book of 1982.
Alicja Gescinska | On Europe
Alicja Gescinska
‘Europe has proved to be at its best when it embraced unity in diversity.’
We Do Not Know Each Other
Lara Feigel
‘Is that what family is for? Helping you to understand what formed you?’
Michael Hofmann | On Europe
Michael Hofmann
‘For all its flimsiness, the cage takes itself terribly seriously, restricting access, glorying in the name of Fatherland.’
Romesh Gunesekera | On Europe
Romesh Gunesekera
‘Identity, it seemed, was not so self-determined after all.’
Srećko Horvat | On Europe
Srećko Horvat
‘We are the ones who are responsible for not repeating the mistakes of the past.’
Laurent Gaudé | On Europe
Laurent Gaudé
‘Fervent social awareness and civic passion have deserted today’s Europe.’ Translated from the French by Alison Anderson.
The Fall of Saigon
James Fenton
‘I wanted to see a communist victory, which I presumed to be inevitable. I wanted to see the fall of a city.’
The Imam and the Indian
Amitav Ghosh
‘We were both travelling, he and I: we were travelling in the West. The only difference was that I had actually been there, in person.’