A selection of recent book reviews, from The JRB.
The Lions’ Den by Iris Mwanza is a historical thriller that reaches into many different corners of its characters’ lives.
The treachery and tenacity of fraternal devotion—Jennifer Malec reviews Sally Rooney’s new novel, Intermezzo
In Intermezzo, sexual tension and spiky wit give way to a deeper sense of tenderness and a lighter brand of charm.
Fragments, explorations and variations—Jennifer Malec reviews Zadie Smith’s debut collection of short stories, Grand Union, her most American book to date
Zadie Smith, the accomplished, experimental New Yorker.
American Spy reimagines the American spy, bringing gender and race into the war room—Jennifer Malec reviews Lauren Wilkinson’s new Cold War thriller
Lauren Wilkinson’s debut novel American Spy is a thriller that exposes the human drama playing out in the wings of the theatre of politics.
How to write beautifully about our horrible, hysterical present—Jennifer Malec reviews Ali Smith’s new novel, Spring
Spring, the third book in Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet, is a strange beast.
Essays that edge towards poetry: Jennifer Malec reviews Zadie Smith’s new collection of non-fiction, Feel Free
Zadie Smith’s new collection of essays, Feel Free, is a too-rare pleasure.
How to write when the novel is dead: Jennifer Malec reviews Autumn and Winter—the first two books of Ali Smith’s seasonal quartet
Ali Smith’s seasonal quartet is a lesson in how to create novels that reflect the now in all its glory and horror.
Zadie Smith’s new collection of essays, Feel Free, is a too-rare pleasure.
The possibilities for moving through the world as a success become precarious without something rare and unobtainable: luck.
Jennifer Malec | Writer, editor, dabbler 