Book Reviews Archives

Prince’s Bassist on the Purple One’s Genius and the Minneapolis Sound – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 24, 2020 by Alan Scherstuhl

Imagine you’re a teenager waiting around in the parking lot of the 7-11 where you work for a stranger to pick you up and drive … Read More

Invisible Lives in “High as the Waters Rise” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 23, 2020 by Amy Brady

Burning Worlds is Amy Brady’s monthly column dedicated to examining how contemporary literature interrogates issues of climate change, in partnership with Yale Climate Connections. Subscribe to her monthly … Read More

Incorrigible Passion in “Furia” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 21, 2020 by Jen Cox

In Yamile Saied Méndez new YA novel, Furia, two childhood friends in Rosario, Argentina grow up to fall in love — with each other and … Read More

Marginalization and Magic in “Master of Poisons” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 20, 2020 by Malavika Praseed

Approaching a genre for the first time is like learning a new language. Sifting through the impenetrable for words you understand, learning the conventions and … Read More

Belonging and metaphysical horror in “That Time of Year” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 18, 2020 by Kat Solomon

It’s hard to sum up Marie NDiaye’s That Time of Year (Un temps de saison, translated from French by Jordan Stump), a short novel that … Read More

Religion, Art, and Britney Spears in ‘Snake’ – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 15, 2020 by Amy Brady

Few writers have attempted to connect the art of Britney Spears to the pictorial language of early cave dwellers, or to the religious rituals of … Read More

Women Resurrected in Léger’s Triptych – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 15, 2020 by Clancey D'Isa

When asked about her triptych, now translated in full from the French and published by Dorothy Project, Nathalie Léger suggested that her intention was to … Read More

The Tactile Experience of History in “Tales of Forgotten Chicago” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 14, 2020 by Dana Dunham

Reading Richard Lindberg’s new book Tales of Forgotten Chicago is like spending the afternoon exploring Chicago’s attic. Nestled in amongst the holiday decorations and old … Read More

Recovering Narratives in “Black in the Middle” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 11, 2020 by Jen Cox

Black Midwesterners live complex lives full of love, creativity, and community; but, that’s not usually the story told in mainstream depictions of Middle America. In … Read More

Generational Trauma and Reconciliation in “Transcendent Kingdom” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 10, 2020 by Rabeea Saleem

It is said that no two people ever read the same book. Our personal history goes a long way in determining the points of references … Read More

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