Adam Kirsch

The Anguished Comedy of Helen DeWitt

The stories in Some Trick, just the writer’s third book in almost 20 years, spin out weird, unlikely conceits with rigor and glee.

• Adam Kirsch
• June 25, 2018

Bill Clinton’s Novel Isn't a Thriller—It's a Fantasy

The President Is Missing, co-written with James Patterson, indulges in a familiar trope: the country's top executive as action hero.

• Adam Kirsch
• June 16, 2018

Does Honor Matter?

A new book argues it’s a virtue that can motivate people to struggle against injustice—but doesn't adequately consider the more pernicious ways it manifests in society.

• Adam Kirsch
• June 3, 2018

Remembering Philip Roth, a Giant of American Literature

The writer, who died at the age of 85, was the last of the larger-than-life novelists of the mid-20th century.

• Adam Kirsch
• May 23, 2018

The Art of Parenthood

New books by Sheila Heti and Michael Chabon explore the claims of family-making, and of writing.

• Adam Kirsch
• May 13, 2018

Readers Don't Need the Nobel Prize in Literature

The cancellation of the 2018 award is an opportunity to remember that great works of writing aren’t decided by committee.

• Adam Kirsch
• May 7, 2018

Asymmetry: A Mentorship Tale, With Surprises

Lisa Halliday’s new book inventively tackles a familiar storyline, encouraging real-world identifications in order to subvert them.

• Adam Kirsch
• February 18, 2018

A Perfectly Postmodern White House Book

What makes Fire and Fury important is that it is not just about Trump, but a product of the same culture that produced Trump.

• Adam Kirsch
• January 14, 2018