Blogcritics Author: Ted Gioia

The New Canon: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Ted Gioia — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 08:06:23 EDT

House of Leaves breaks almost every rule of fiction, from the typographical to the metaphysical.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Some novels...

The New Canon: Atonement by Ian McEwan

Ted Gioia — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 17:14:28 EDT

Ian McEwan's masterful novel starts out like a Jane Austen country romance but ends up a post-modern meta-fiction.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Atonement by Ian McEwan. There were so many ways Ian...

Book Review: Indignation by Philip Roth

Ted Gioia — Thu, 2 Oct 2008 06:44:20 EDT

Philip Roth delivers a coming-of-age story about an indignant teenager whose conflicts seem destined to lead to an early grave.
Philip Roth has delivered his third short novel in as many years. But whereas Everyman (2006) and Exit Ghost (2007) dealt with aging protagonists grappling with physical decline and looming death, Indignation is a coming-of-age story about a contentious teenager. Then again, this is a teenager dealing with looming death — thus proving that,...

The New Canon: Possession - A Romance by A.S. Byatt

Ted Gioia — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:56:45 EDT

A.S. Byatt masterfully juxtaposes a modern day love story and a secret Victorian romance in a novel of academic intrigue.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt. Roland Mitchell,...

Book Review: Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes

Ted Gioia — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:48:35 EDT

�I don�t believe in God, but I miss Him,� author Julian Barnes claims in this peculiar book about spirituality and death.
God is doing pretty well these days, at least judging by the bestseller list. God figures prominently in non-fiction books claiming that He is fiction (e.g., The God Delusion), but also in fictional books that assert He is non-fiction (e.g., the sixteen novels in the Left Behind series). There are even several God-oriented cookbooks available for...

The New Canon: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Ted Gioia — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:49:04 EDT

In an age of down-scaled novels, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest was four pounds of prose, and no fat!
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Shhh! Keep...

The New Canon: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Ted Gioia — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:32:46 EDT

In Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami creates a strange world where magical dream landscapes intersect modern urban life.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Fifty years...

Remembering David Foster Wallace (1962-2008)

Ted Gioia — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 02:43:18 EDT

Dead at age forty-six, he will be remembered as one of the most brilliant writers of his generation.
The death of novelist David Foster Wallace represents a major loss to American letters. In an age in which serious fiction seems content with achieving smaller and smaller effects in a marginalized corner of contemporary culture, Wallace was not afraid of trying for the home run. He reminded us that the novel still possesses the ability to cut...

Book Review: Home by Marilynne Robinson

Ted Gioia — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 09:23:44 EDT

Marilynne Robinson's new novel tells the exact same story as her last novel. What's going on here?
Does this story sound familiar? The year is 1956, and a minister in Gilead, Iowa is in failing health, and any day might be his last. Although he has led a simple, decent life, he is beset by worries about what will happen to his family after his passing, and is especially concerned about the fate of his son.If you read Marilynne...

The New Canon: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

Ted Gioia — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:45:18 EDT

Jonathan Lethem mixes superheroes and magical realism with a stark coming-of-age story.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. More...