Stalking the self: “Consequences” by Willa Cather
Cather’s use of a close third-person narration lends her story an uncanny element of unease and creepiness.
The most wild, homely narrative: “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe
Poe’s 1843 tale is not only one of the greatest horror stories ever written; it is also a pristine example of internal integrity in the short form.
The ghostwriter: Philip Roth was a master in the attempted manipulation of his own image, both during his life and after his death
A pugilistic, self-absorbed author, a scandal-mired biographer, and a disillusioned scholar. What could possibly go wrong?
Scary stories: a single-volume anthology from the British Library provides a cogent and concise history of the literary horror genre
From 17th century Gothic novels to the modern-day zombie story, the horror novel continues to fascinate readers and evolve in the literary consciousness.
To catch a predator: Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown’s book details her pursuit of justice for the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Though marred by some sloppy writing and digressions, Brown’s book provides a valuable counter to a justice system in thrall to wealth and influence.
Skin in the game: librarian Megan Rosenbloom goes on a hunt for a very esoteric category of rare books
As a leader of the Anthropodermic Book Project, Rosenbloom has for years been ensconced in the realm of anthropodermic bibliopegy – in lay terms, the practice of binding books in human skin.
De Sade’s notorious manuscript scroll, an “emblem of literary and artistic freedom,” acquired by French nation for €4.55 million
The manuscript, deemed by the French government a national treasure, is one of the most controversial and frequently banned works ever published.
The madness of war: David Diop’s brutal and beautiful At Night All Blood Is Black
The novel, which won the 2021 Man Booker International Prize, questions where duty and friendship end and insanity begins.
Stolen goods: metafictional wheels within wheels abound in Jean Hanff Korelitz’s thriller The Plot
The novel is among a series of recent thrillers that focus on writers behaving badly.
Tales of Transgression: Joris-Karl Huysmans’s demonic inferno, Là-Bas
Huysmans shared his protagonist’s disgust with humanity and longed to create a new kind of literature.