Contemporary Literature
A study in radical rhetoric
We can disagree with Annie Ernaux’s politics while saying she deserves her Nobel Prize
Philip Larkin: the man who was always right
The great man’s peerless poetry is not the “soppy stuff” of cheap romanticism, but a harsh, unsparing — and often beautiful — look at the world
A shapeless, moving, end in itself
So entropic is Geoff Dyer’s latest that the reader seeks desperately for structure
Thinkers, writers and storytellers
Narrative, voice and good novels — not always at the same time
Why we need a new movement
The timid world of BritLit needs to be shaken up by a mutinous new clique of writers
Sparks, glitterballs and masterworks
The greatest works of fiction published this year
The Critic Books Podcast: The Gardener
On this episode of The Critic Books podcast, Francesca Peacock speaks to Salley Vickers about The Gardener
My “state of the nation” book
England’s Mean Unpleasant Land: How the Tories, Trump and TikTok Screwed Up Britain
Anti-Christian persecution is an international problem
Britain should use its diplomatic influence to help
Oasis: the good boys of rock and roll
For guitar bands since punk, there’s been a tension between credibility and success
There is more to ethics than “#BeKind”
It is not cruel to fear the consequences of legalising assisted dying
Minimum pricing, maximum annoyance
No one wins when the minimum price for alcohol rises
Perfect victims and a tale of two films
Don’t idealise victims — listen to them
Free speech is fascist
Words must be controlled to ensure that Starmer’s subjects behave themselves
Don’t bet on green energy
Groupthink has blinded us into backing solar and wind. Will a big short make us see sense?
It is good to challenge kids
That which makes us anxious can also make us strong
Are we being misled on Georgia?
Claims of electoral fraud are serious — but they have not been substantiated
Autumn Reeves
It was a grim budget — but was it a necessary one?
