The British ‘Idea of Europe’ Is Still a Mess
Shane Weller’s The Idea of Europe, hampered by an unconscious form of Euroscepticism, suggests that British critics are still not ready to listen to their neighbors.
Andrea Tallarita
Andrea Tallarita was born in Rome in 1985. He studied Comparative Literature at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich and currently lives in Berlin. He is represented by the London-based literary agency Marjacq.
‘Stealing from the Saracens’ Pursues Its Own Broken Crusade
Diana Darke’s stumbling cultural critique of Islamic architecture, Stealing from the Saracens, shows how desperately Europe needs its own anti-racist language.
Jenny Hval’s ‘Girls Against God’ Is Pure Audacity
With Girls Against God, avant-garde musician Jenny Hval gives us a semi-autobiographical text that, like the metalhead teen she describes, won't abide by any rules.
Southeastern European History Work, ‘The Great Cauldron’, Will Demand of You as Much as It Yields
Marie-Janine Calic's history of Southeastern Europe is undeniably well-researched, but it's also a cumbersome reading experience for anyone but the specialist.
Yannick Haenel’s ‘Hold Fast Your Crown’ Is French Literature at Its Best
Yannick Haenel's Hold Fast Your Crown is shocking, frustrating, elating, and among the best books published in France for decades.
Maylis de Kerangal’s ‘The Cook’ Is a Classic Case of Style Over Substance
There is a lot of enjoyable sleight of hand in de Kerangal's The Cook, but ultimately the author fails to engage with the questions it raises.
A Deeper Disney Discourse on Song
We look at Disney songs through the lens of hardcore hermeneutics. Be warned, you may never be able to hear these songs the way you did before!
On Epistemological Anxieties and Irony in ‘Who’s Who When Everyone Is Someone Else’
C.D. Rose's novel is as striking for its achievements as it is for its failures, but ultimately the whole exercise feels rather inessential.
‘Smoking Kills’ Revels in the Many Joys to Be Found in Death
Antoine Laurain's Smoking Kills is provocative and funny, but its meditations remain consistently mature.
Julia Fine’s ‘What Should Be Wild’ Is Much Too Wild
Fine's debut novel is occasionally impressive, but too often it strives for unnecessary complexity.
‘Troy: Fall of a City’ Was Overlooked for the Wrong Reasons
Troy: Fall of a City tries to attack our racial prejudice but reveals more about our Classical ignorance.