Literature
Books to look forward to this year
There is a great deal to look forward to this year, and hopefully not that much to dread
The lesser-known Orwell: are his novels deserving of reappraisal?
George Orwell has a gift for the unusual and the memorable that means that even his half-forgotten novels are well worth discovering once again
Peculiar world of a singular talent
Highsmith was a great writer, with a moral vision bracing enough to clarify the terrors of the twentieth century
Murders ranging widely
Jeremy Black recommends an array of crime fiction novels, both modern and classic, to keep you entertained in January
Are we killing ourselves with kindness?
Stefan Zweig’s 1939 novel ‘Beware of Pity’ now screams to have its message heeded
Reflections on Narnia
After 75 years, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains a relatable classic
Murders for January
Jeremy Black recommends the best murder mysteries to read in the New Year
Sacking of the libraries
Should libraries should sell historic manuscripts to solve short-term financial problems
John le Carré: a man who rose through the English class system as it was collapsing
John le Carré’s voice of old-fashioned English authority was one acquired through merit and bearing rather than birth
What makes a Penguin Classic?
Alexander Larman talks to the Creative Editor of Penguin Classics, Henry Eliot about what makes a ‘modern classic’
