Television by Lauren Rothery: A novel about deeply cynical people living semi-charmed lives
Television shares some flaws with its namesake medium, but when Rothery captures the raw materials of the moment, her prose rises off the page
Book Reviews
Blank Canvas by Grace Murray: A different class of campus novel
Sharply-written story doesn’t shy away from questioning how far the bounds of familial love and loyalty can go
Rogue Elephant: How a divided Republican Party allowed Trump to take control
Paul Heideman’s account of GOP’s evolution from mid-20th century to present is concise and highly readable
Solidarity and Pressure: A thorough history of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement
Clear-sighted book by Connal Parr confirms even the noblest political campaigns can get a little prickly
Off the Scales by Aimee Donnellan: a lively tale of the stunning rise of Ozempic
This detailed, eye-opening account is bolstered by an insider look at commercial drug development
Murder and mayhem features in January YA titles, and a fun exploration of an iconic tale
In Beth Is Dead, debut author Katie Bernet delves into the cultural afterlife of a classic
The Successor: Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin and the end of Russia’s democratic dream
Mikhail Fishman’s biography tells the story of Boris Nemtsov, whose life and death illuminate Putin’s rise
Thomas Moore and the Transatlantic, 1800-1840: A fluent voice and an open mind
A new account of Moore as a writer attuned to debates on gender, education, boxing, empire, enslavement and agricultural trade
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle: Shadows of classic title in sprawling story
Protagonist’s time in a psychiatric hospital shines a spotlight on institutional neglect
Happy Land: Finding My Inner Finn by Tim Bird – Brings a smile
How a population perceived as being dour and taciturn by their neighbours appear to have cracked the code of happiness
Reviews in brief: My Travels with Footsbarn Theatre; Natalja’s Stories; Barren
A lively memoir on the adventures of a travelling theatre group; a fable-like novella; and an enlightening novel with real emotional integrity
The Undead: A zombified Lenin wreaks havoc on Moscow; the Russian state wreaks havoc on a film-maker
Svetlana Satchkova’s English-language debut explores an uncomfortable reality in which opportunities for rebellion are slim
A fascinating book on the design and symbolism of the US embassy in Dublin
America at Home: The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin by Cormac Murray
Somewhere Cold by Geraldine Osborne: Remarkable account of a family’s icy adventure
Threat of polar bear attacks was an everyday part of life during year-long sojourn
Dog Days by Emily LaBarge: Confronting the trauma of an attack
An author in search of nothing short of a new form of writing
The Intellectual Origins of American Slavery: A book deserving of wide readership
Solid attempt to tackle difficult task of explaining legal and philosophical assumptions behind slavery
Irish fiction debuts to look forward this year from Neil Tully, Ana Kinsella to Colin Morgan
‘I’m happy to say that rights have been optioned for TV’: A rich crop of fiction is set to emerge this year
The Kingdom by Yoel Noorali: bureaucratic madness and the absurdity of life
Collection of autobiographical and fictional stories has a unique comic tone
The Outsiders Who Built Irish Entertainment: Wendy Elliman details the evolution of a national empire
A fascinating history of the Elliman family and an insight into the early days of Irish-Jewish life
New poetry: Alia Kobuszko; John F Deane; Ruth Carr; and Tom Paulin’s razor-sharp return
Dream Latitudes, Jonah and Me, Catching the Missing Beat and Namanlagh reviewed
Alexandre Kojève, An Intellectual Biography by Boris Groys: alternative world visions
Beyond his notorious ‘end of history’ thesis, the views of the Russian-born philosopher changed considerably over his life
Fawning by Dr Ingrid Clayton: focusing on a common but overlooked trauma response
For those who are overly agreeable, accommodating and inclined towards people-pleasing
Life in Progress by Hans Ulrich Obrist: from budding enthusiast to art world titan
Unconventional and entertaining memoir by man often credited as the inventor of modern curation
Night Vision by Jean Sprackland: An essay collection filled with light and shade
An evocative and ambitious study of a state that makes up half of human experience
Rewiring Democracy: ‘Citizen acceptance and trust in AI matters as much as AI capabilities’
The authors’ excitement for artificial intelligence is infectious and their understanding affords a glimpse beyond the hazards
Magic Maker by Pam Grossman: this word-witch doesn’t disappoint
The occult author weaves a cloak of enchantment for anyone intrigued by the notion that creativity is an expression of both intellect and spirit
Books in brief: The Hare’s Corner, Making Space for Nature; Grand Rapids; and The Marionette and the Maestro
New works by Jane Clarke and Catherine Cleary, Natasha Stagg, and Tanya Farrelly
The Irish Revolution: How the diaspora helped make independence an international affair
New collection of essays dwells comprehensively on role of Irish overseas during revolutionary period
The 1920s London Irish Theatre: Abbey’s difficulty was England’s opportunity
Nelson O’Ceallaigh Ritschel’s history shows extent to which Irish drama was important in London
The Slicks: A hopefully intentionally unserious book on Taylor Swift and Sylvia Plath
Finishing Maggie Nelson’s brief new book, I felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety emanating from its pages
Local history round-up: From fairy mischief to the good and bad of Galway
Plus: fascinating sites in each county, Northern Irish eccentricities and six millenniums of Knowth
Palaver by Bryan Washington: Mother and man-child reunion
Set in Tokyo, this tale of a whiny son forced to sleep on the pull-out sofa could do with lightening up
How the West misjudged Russia’s dissidents and helped shape Putin’s rise as Soviet Union fell
Mikhail Zygar’s latest book revisits the figures who defined the USSR’s last years and the turbulent decades that followed
Rónán Hession on January’s best fiction in translation: ‘Chinese writing is the most interesting literature being produced today’
Works by Solvej Balle, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Ágota Kristóf, Rene Karabas and Ning Ken
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
The GlossOpens in new window
Read the digital edition of The Gloss magazine now
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices