High-pitched Romanticism

by George Loomis

On Ernani at Teatro alla Scala.

Monet in Zola & Proust

by Jeffrey Meyers

How did Zola and Proust depict Monet?

Proust regained

by Daniel Mark Epstein

A consideration of the life and work of Marcel Proust.

Highlights from the O. Henrys

by Hannah Niemeier

On this year’s O. Henry Prize Stories.

Finding Franklin

by Marc M. Arkin

On the making of an American enigma, occasioned by a new biography of his early life.

Gallery chronicle

by James Panero

On Red Grooms at Marlborough Contemporary, Rackstraw Downes at Betty Cuningham Gallery, Graham Nickson at the New York Studio School, & the late Richard Timperio, gallerist at the legendary Sideshow in Williamsburg.

October 2018

Notes & Comments

The way we live now

On rewriting history and romanticizing evil on college campuses.

Features

How to read Kafka: part I

by John M. Ellis

The first in a two-part series on the writer who transformed our view of modern rationalism.

Totalitarian physics & moral threshing

by Jacob Howland

On the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Vasily Grossman’s great anti-Soviet novel Life and Fate.

Finding Franklin

by Marc M. Arkin

On the making of an American enigma, occasioned by a new biography of his early life.

The Waugh effort

by Dominic Green

On Evelyn Waugh’s military service.

Poems

Duel of roses

by Phillis Levin

Reflections

Lies, damned lies & the European Union

by Gerald Frost

On the demise of a doomed political union.

Theater

The phantom of the obvious

by Kyle Smith

On England’s most over-the-top composer and his new memoir, Unmasked.

Art

“Corot: Women” in Washington

by Karen Wilkin

On “Corot: Women” at the National Gallery of Art.

Rockland chronicle

by Franklin Einspruch

On Andrew and Jamie Wyeth at the Farnsworth Art Museum and “John Bisbee: American Steel,” “Tom Burckhardt: Studio Flood,” and “Jocelyn Lee: The Appearance of Things” at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

Gallery chronicle

by James Panero

On “Red Grooms: Handiwork, 1955–2018,” at Marlborough Contemporary, “Rackstraw Downes: Paintings & Drawings” at Betty Cuningham Gallery, “Graham Nickson: Cumulus, Monumental Trees and Transient Skies” at the New York Studio School, & the late Richard Timperio, gallerist at the legendary Sideshow in Williamsburg.

Music

Salzburg chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On performances at the Salzburg Festival, including the conductor Teodor Currentzis with musicAeterna, the violinist Albena Danailova with other members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the pianist Yuja Wang and the percussionist Martin Grubinger, the pianist Grigory Sokolov, the operas L’incoronazione di Poppea and Salome, and the conductor Herbert Blomstedt with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The media

Quid est veritas?

by James Bowman

On redefining truth and destroying political discourse.

Notebook

V. S. Naipaul, 1932–2018

by David Pryce-Jones

On the Trinidad-born British writer, who died this August.

Rodney Nichols, 1937–2018

by William Happer

On the scientist, CO2 Coalition leader, and New Criterion supporter, who died this September.

Puccini all’americana

by Jay Nordlinger

October 10, 2018

The Metropolitan Opera presents the Golden Girl.

The Critic’s Notebook

by The Editors

October 09, 2018

On Reagan’s journey, Tintoretto’s drawings, New York’s Grecian designs & more from the world of culture.

High-pitched Romanticism

by George Loomis

October 09, 2018

On Ernani at Teatro alla Scala.

Week in review

by Hannah Niemeier

October 05, 2018

On fake art movements, Lolita’s crimes, Walter Laqueur & more.

Spaced out in the nation’s capital

by Paul du Quenoy

October 04, 2018

On the opening of Washington’s musical season.

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Critic's Notebook

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Books

Our Orwellian tax code

on Liberal Suppression: Section 501(c)(3) and the Taxation of Speech by Philip Hamburger

reviewed by Andrew C. McCarthy

Choking the word

on Confessions: A New Translation by Augustine

reviewed by Solveig Lucia Gold

A ruinous bore

on Love and Ruin: A Novel by Paula Mclain

reviewed by Carl Rollyson

Beneath Britain’s swagger

on The Age of Decadence: Britain 1880 to 1914 by Simon Heffer (Author)

reviewed by Jeremy Black

Monument man

on Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight

reviewed by Finnegan Schick

Gray matter

on An Academic Life: A Memoir (The William G. Bowen Memorial Series in Higher Education) by Hanna Holborn Gray

reviewed by Justin Zaremby

La vie en rosé

on My Twenty-Five Years in Provence: Reflections on Then and Now by Peter Mayle

reviewed by Anthony Daniels

Bookstore

High-pitched Romanticism

by George Loomis

Monet in Zola & Proust

by Jeffrey Meyers

Proust regained

by Daniel Mark Epstein

Highlights from the O. Henrys

by Hannah Niemeier

Finding Franklin

by Marc M. Arkin

Gallery chronicle

by James Panero

October 2018

Notes & Comments

The way we live now

Features

How to read Kafka: part I

by John M. Ellis

Totalitarian physics & moral threshing

by Jacob Howland

Finding Franklin

by Marc M. Arkin

The Waugh effort

by Dominic Green

Poems

Duel of roses

by Phillis Levin

Reflections

Lies, damned lies & the European Union

by Gerald Frost

Theater

The phantom of the obvious

by Kyle Smith

Art

“Corot: Women” in Washington

by Karen Wilkin

Rockland chronicle

by Franklin Einspruch

Gallery chronicle

by James Panero

Music

Salzburg chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

The media

Quid est veritas?

by James Bowman

Notebook

V. S. Naipaul, 1932–2018

by David Pryce-Jones

Rodney Nichols, 1937–2018

by William Happer

Puccini all’americana

by Jay Nordlinger

October 10, 2018

The Critic’s Notebook

by The Editors

October 09, 2018

High-pitched Romanticism

by George Loomis

October 09, 2018

Week in review

by Hannah Niemeier

October 05, 2018

Spaced out in the nation’s capital

by Paul du Quenoy

October 04, 2018

Stay informed with our weekly email newsletter, “The Critic’s Notebook.”

Subscribe to our Critic's Notebook

A free weekly newsletter about arts & culture

Books

Our Orwellian tax code

reviewed by Andrew C. McCarthy

Choking the word

reviewed by Solveig Lucia Gold

A ruinous bore

reviewed by Carl Rollyson

Beneath Britain’s swagger

reviewed by Jeremy Black

Monument man

reviewed by Finnegan Schick

Subscribe to our
Critic's Notebook

1
How to read Kafka: part I by John M. Ellis

2
The Waugh effort by Dominic Green

3
Totalitarian physics & moral threshing by Jacob Howland

4
Chez Proust by John Simon

5
The way we live now

6
Proust regained by Daniel Mark Epstein

7
Finding Franklin by Marc M. Arkin

8
Lies, damned lies & the European Union by Gerald Frost

9
Monet in Zola & Proust by Jeffrey Meyers

10
Choking the word by Solveig Lucia Gold

1
How to read Kafka: part I by John M. Ellis

2
The Waugh effort by Dominic Green

3
Jordan Peterson’s third way by Steven McGregor

4
Marvelous Muriel by David Pryce-Jones

5
Exhibition note by Benjamin Riley

6
Totalitarian physics & moral threshing by Jacob Howland

7
Finding Franklin by Marc M. Arkin

8
The perversions of M. Foucault by Roger Kimball

9
Literary victimhood by Anthony Daniels

10
The way we live now

1
The good populism by Victor Davis Hanson

2
Solzhenitsyn’s cathedrals by Gary Saul Morson

3
“The Idiot” savant by Gary Saul Morson

4
Fahrenheit 451 updated

5
Is civilization overrated?

6
Annals of leftist autophagy

7
Puttin’ on the style by Dominic Green

8
The future of classicism by Clive Aslet

9
Department of none by William H. Pritchard

10
Founding philosophy by Michael Anton

1
The good populism by Victor Davis Hanson

2
The case of Stephen Greenblatt by Bruce Bawer

3
Solzhenitsyn’s cathedrals by Gary Saul Morson

4
“The Idiot” savant by Gary Saul Morson

5
Fahrenheit 451 updated

6
The house is on fire! by Gary Saul Morson

7
Is civilization overrated?

8
Annals of leftist autophagy

9
Inebriates of virtue

10
Puttin’ on the style by Dominic Green