Category: Micro-Reviews

Here’s a trio of novellas from the king of the legal thriller. The stories in this collection should appeal to Grisham’s fans. There’s a convicted lawyer-slash-thief trying to reconcile with his daughter, a death-row convict nearing execution, and small-town lawyers doing their damnedest to break …

It’s 1939. Europe is heading toward war, and America is rushing to develop a nuclear bomb. Enter young T., a math genius who sees limitations in Einstein’s E=mc2 equation. T. has the mental capacity to develop all sorts of nukes—and to throw in time travel …

Wow. This 1985 novel about American expansion in the Old West is one of the most severe, violent and intense works of literature available. The story—about cowboys hunting the Apache without restraint or oversight—contains more unvarnished depravity than many (most?) of today’s readers will be …

In August 2022, Salman Rushie took to the stage in Chautauqua, New York, to talk about the United States as a safe haven for writers. Before the audience settled in, an assailant appeared out of the sea of faces and stabbed him 14 times. This …

Justin Shetler is one of those people who has the ability to succeed at anything. He’s smart and athletically gifted, but he’s also restless. He desires, seeks—needs—ultimate meaning, and expects to find it. Think Somerset Maugham’s Larry Darrell without the Platonic virtue of temperance. An …

I reviewed the novel (somewhat unfavorably) a few years back and decided to give the TV mini-series a chance because of its high imdb rating. English teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) finds a portal to 1960. This gives him three years to stop the Kennedy …

This 1954 novel bears only a passing resemblance to the Will Smith movie. It’s considered a classic of the genre, and it ages fairly well. The story—about a man who might be the last man in a world full of vampires—is timeless thanks to its …

If you’ve read the brilliant A Man Called Ovie, resist the temptation to compare the two novels. This story about a hostage-taking at a realtor’s home showing is a different beast. Who’s our mystery hostage taker? How did he/she/they elude the police? These questions intrigue, …

This cinematic portrayal of the first family of Auschwitz is serious and well-intended, but it drowns in its own devotions. The story is direct and largely factual: Commandant Rudolf Hoss works long hours running the camp, while wife Hedwig prunes azaleas and overseas their brood …

First published in 1978, this biographical compilation of the author’s x-rated experiences with women has survived decades of accusations of misogyny and egocentrism. It strains our notions of coequality, but it’s also disarmingly honest, laugh-out-loud funny, and at times poetic. The book is a 300-page …