The Polemic Popularity of the Present in “In The Orchard” – Chicago Review of Books

The Polemic Popularity of the Present in “In The Orchard” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] It’s an odd thing, about trends. A trend seems to take on a life of its own, morphing and consuming its way through the zeitgeist. How do they begin, why do they die? There’s something of Orwell’s groupthink, removed (usually) of its menace and totalitarian bent, but nonetheless reflective of the base human need … Read more

A Metaphysical Mountain in “Ascension” – Chicago Review of Books

A Metaphysical Mountain in “Ascension” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] In Nicholas Binge’s Ascension, a mountain of nearly unimaginable size appears suddenly in the middle of the ocean, its sides plunging steeply into the sea, its mysterious peak looming unattainably in the clouds, nearly 10,000 feet higher than Mount Everest. The mountain stuns physicist Harold Tunmore, not just because of its sudden materialization, but … Read more

Queering the “Fiddler on the Roof” Coming to America Story – Chicago Review of Books

Queering the “Fiddler on the Roof” Coming to America Story – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] Growing up in the 1980s, I could not escape Fiddler on the Roof.  I sat through professional theatrical productions as well as amateur productions at our local public school—my brother’s girlfriend played Tzeitel—and the private Jewish day school I attended through eighth grade. I watched the movie at home, in school, and at Jewish … Read more

Found Family, Forests, and Fantastical Storytelling from “In the Lives of Puppets” – Chicago Review of Books

Found Family, Forests, and Fantastical Storytelling from “In the Lives of Puppets” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] With In the Lives of Puppets, Lambda Literary Award-winning TJ Klune offers speculative fiction and young adult readers a fresh new tale. By loosely adapting The Adventures of Pinnochio, Klune tells the endearing story of a father creating life under unorthodox circumstances and a boy on a dangerous journey to a far-off land and … Read more

The Falsity of Happy Endings in “The One” – Chicago Review of Books

The Falsity of Happy Endings in “The One” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] When I was young, I loved The Bachelor. I was enthralled by the unnecessary conflict, envious of the contestants’ thin bodies, and desperate for the love stories that unfolded over the course of weeks. Inevitably, the couples would fall apart less than two months after the reunion special, so I’d never revisit seasons—all the … Read more

A Dark Shadow of the Marriage Plot in “Juno Loves Legs” – Chicago Review of Books

A Dark Shadow of the Marriage Plot in “Juno Loves Legs” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] Near the beginning of Juno Loves Legs, Juno’s mother—a poorly paid seamstress struggling to make ends meet for her two daughters and alcoholic husband in a Dublin housing estate in the 1980s—modifies her own wedding dress so Juno can wear it to her confirmation. When her mother is killed in a sudden accident before … Read more

Five Poets on Poetry Collections That Deserve Your Attention – Chicago Review of Books

Five Poets on Poetry Collections That Deserve Your Attention – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] In celebration of National Poetry Month, we have initiated a new regular series to highlight poets and what they are reading. For this first list, we asked some of our favorite poets to offer a brief commentary about a recent collection they thought deserved more recognition. This is the literary-equivalent of Sophie’s Choice, yet, naturally, … Read more

The Inward Gaze in “Games and Rituals” – Chicago Review of Books

The Inward Gaze in “Games and Rituals” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] The pandemic changed many things. There’s no going back, no return to normal, because the normal we left behind doesn’t exist. We all see the world differently, whether we want to or not. We’ve entered the post-pandemic, and our art is beginning to reflect the shift. Authors echo these changes. They can confront those … Read more