Gwendoline Riley is haunted by herself
The author’s new novel, Palm House, lacks her usual virtuosity
By
Reviewing politics
and culture since 1913
Lola Seaton is an associate editor at New Left Review and a contributing writer at the New Statesman.
The author’s new novel, Palm House, lacks her usual virtuosity
By Lola Seaton
In Intermezzo, the Irish writer swaps polished wit and graphic sex for something deeper, messier and more mature.
By Lola Seaton
Can the master of the hatchet-job place herself beyond criticism?
By Lola Seaton
Released 50 years ago, the singer’s commercial breakthrough is a masterwork of ambivalence.
By Lola Seaton
A new book shows how sport has shaped British history and society – but cannot explain why it matters…
By Lola Seaton
The Norwegian novelist doesn’t just want to show his characters’ inner lives, he wants us to take leave of…
By Lola Seaton
The Norwegian author’s masterwork Septology finds a mysterious beauty in repetition.
By Lola Seaton
The author’s first period piece, The Fraud, is curiously absent of her usual strengths. Was her heart really in…
By Lola Seaton
Mark O’Connell’s portrait of a notorious Irish killer becomes a study of the desire to turn reality into fiction.
By Lola Seaton