John Freeman

``I am rereading Thomas Mann's `The Magic Mountain.' I am fascinated by the way Mann interlinks all sorts of levels of meaning--science, myth, philosophical debate, X-rays, and medicine--into what was originally designed to be a comic companion novella to the tragic `Death in Venice.'''
--A.S. Byatt, author of ``Little Black Book of Stories''

``I have a number of things on the go: I'm rereading [Saul] Bellow's `The Dean's December.' I've just finished a proof of three interlinked stories by Alice Munro from her new collection. Also [Richard] Dawkins' `The Ancestor's Tale' and Paul Fussell's `The Boys' Crusade: The American Infantry in Northwestern Europe, 1944-1945.'''
--Ian McEwan, author of ``Saturday''

"Gregory Curtis' `Disarmed: The Story of the Venus de Milo.' A fascinating chronicle of the discovery of the broken statue in a farmer's field on the Greek island of Melos and then of the acrimonious international battles over its ownership and artistic history and form. A scholarly detective tale with a flamboyant cast of characters."
--Camille Paglia, author of ``Break, Blow, Burn: Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems''

``I'm into an advance reading copy of Chuck Palahniuk's `Haunted.' No doubt he's become the new Vonnegut, in terms of social criticism, but with a bitter, brutal edge that's right for the times."
--Stewart O'Nan, author of ``The Good Wife''

``I'm reading a book called `A Short History of Tractors' [in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka]--it's a novel. It's a real title, I swear!"
--Nick Hornby, author of ``The Polysyllabic Spree''

`"'Happy Baby' by Stephen Elliott. With the character of Theo, Stephen Elliott jars you out of whatever daily stupor you may have a tendency to fall into, and offers up a sweet soul in need of your immediate care and attention.''
--Alicia Erian, author of ``Towelhead: A Novel''

``I'm reading [`De Kooning: An] American Master,' the biography of Willem de Kooning, [by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan]. If you care at all about modern, contemporary or American art, it's a great book.''
--James Frey, author of ``My Friend Leonard''

(2005-06-09)

Also by John Freeman

Nonfiction Review
The only thing Americans love more than a scoundrel is a reformed one
(2005-05-31)

Family Guy
American humorists often make a Faustian bargain with their personal lives
(2005-05-31)

Nonfiction Review
On April 26, 1986, an explosion in Chernobyl caused the worst nuclear accident in history. Although only thirty-one people died, thanks to the Soviet Union's policy of secrecy we will never know the true cost. Unknown thousands were born with birth defects, and many more from the tiny country of Belarus remain haunted by memories of that day. Svetlana Alexievich's "Voices from Chernobyl" is the first book to chronicle their stories
(2005-05-10)

Versatility
The Hubba-Bubba pink cover art on her new book notwithstanding, Camille Paglia is courting a lower profile these days
(2005-05-10)

Fiction Review
(2005-04-26)

Fiction Review
(2005-04-12)

Fiction Review
(2005-03-08)

Nonfiction Review
(2005-02-22)

Fiction Review
(2005-02-08)

Nonfiction Review
(2004-12-21)

Poetry Review
(2004-12-07)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment