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Reflections on books and the arts from the New Statesman culture desk

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Read all about it: NS Books of the Year 2012

The New Statesman’s friends and contributors choose their favourite books of 2012.

By New Statesman Published 29 November 2012 12:14
Image: Lori Nix (Library)
Image: Lori Nix (Library)

Index
Rowan Williams | A S Byatt | Ed Miliband | Ali Smith | Melvyn Bragg | Margaret Drabble | Ed Balls | Tracey Thorn | Colm Tóibín | Jesse Norman | Richard J Evans | Alain de Botton | Laura Kuenssberg | Douglas Alexander | Jenny Diski | Jon Snow | Julie Myerson | Simon Heffer | James Wood | Joan Bakewell | Mark Damazer | John Gray | David Willetts | Ruth Padel | Pankaj Mishra | Jane Shilling | Norman Lamont | Simon Blackburn | Michael Holroyd | John Banville | Laurie Penny | Geoff Dyer | Amanda Craig | Leo Robson | Tim Soutphommasane | Olivia Laing | Ed Smith | Colin McCabe | Adam Mars-Jones | David Marquand | Toby Litt | Adam Gopnik | Sarah Churchwell | Douglas Hurd | Adam Thirlwell | Talitha Stevenson | John Sutherland | Andrew Adonis | Christopher Ricks | Jonathan Derbyshire | John Burnside | Geoffrey Wheatcroft | Craig Raine | Peter Wilby | Benjamin Kunkel | Jason Cowley | Alex Preston

(Photo: Getty Images)

 

Alain de Botton

This year, I was touched by Francis Spufford’s Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense (Faber & Faber, £12.99). As a non-Christian, indeed a committed atheist, I was worried about how I’d feel about this book but it pulled off a rare feat: making Christianity seem appealing to those who have no interest in ever being Christians. A number of Christian writers have over the past decade tried to write books defending their faith against the onslaughts of the new atheists – but they’ve generally failed. Spufford understands that the trick isn’t to try to convince the reader that Christianity is true but rather to show why it’s interesting, wise and sometimes consoling.

 
 

2 comments

Natacha's picture

Fri, 2012-11-30 00:07 — Natacha (not verified)

Odd that Adonis shoule choose "Finnish Lessons" since it describes the particularly successful education system in Finland which is pretty much the polar opposite of everything Adonis has advocated in our education system.

His support for Free schools and Academies, doesn't sit well with the more unified system in Finland. His point about thestatus of teaching being high in Finland ignores the fact that this is achieved by giving teachers (CLASS teachers NOT Headteachers) more professional autonimy than they ever get in British schools, especially in the academies and Free schools that he supports. This status is also achieved without anything like Ofsted, without league tables and with politicians consulting teachers on any changes to the system.

A far cry from our system, in particular most of what Adonis advocates.

Old Indy's picture

Thu, 2012-11-29 22:55 — Old Indy (not verified)

...So basically saying we should appologize, sorry - "be honest" about New Labour's failings (Brown's, not Blair's of course!) while accepting, sorry, "be candid" of the Tory cuts. Or maybe he really just happen to choose THAT particular book... via David Miliband. While you're at it, am sure Blair would also LOVE it!

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