The Time Is Right for a ‘Great Books’ Revival
To build a better world in the age of AI, students need grounding in indispensable ideas.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
He Was Hugely Influential. He Also Had a Foolish Streak.
A recent biography of the writer John Berger reminds us about his hefty influence—and how he could be blinkered by his convictions.
Forget Grit
Even the luminaries of the self-help genre have begun to recognize how little in life we can actually control.
How American Girl Doll Lost Its Way
At 40, the brand faces a midlife crisis.
Democrats Are Sounding More Like Republicans
Why politicians are betting on ever more moralizing language
What To Read
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50 Unforgettable Love Stories
Centuries of joyous, tragic, tantalizing, enduring fiction
Six Hard-to-Find Books Worth Reading
These titles are no longer fashionable, if they ever were—but should you manage to read one, you might love it.
What to Read to Wake Up Your Brain
These books can ease readers into a season of work and hard thinking.
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Six Books That Take You to Space
You won’t even have to leave your couch.
Newsletter
The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
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Fiction
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The Guardians
A short story
Disunion
A short story
I Heard You Singing
A short story
The Wisdom of Holden Caulfield
Beneath all the alienation, The Catcher in the Rye, which turns 75 this year, has a surprisingly hopeful—and ethical—outlook.
Salman Rushdie Doesn’t Want to Be Your ‘Free Speech Barbie’
Speaking with George Packer at the New Orleans Book Festival, the author was eager to return to the subject of fiction.
How Not to Recommend a Book
Even for those who make a career out of loving books, sharing the right ones with the right people can take years of practice.
A Deft Portraitist of Class in America
Tayari Jones’s new novel, Kin, is a steely portrait of friendship and fate.
Fortunes
A short story
Six Books That Simply Must Be Talked About
These six books demand discussion—with a pal, a date, or a book club.
Americans Should Stop Using the Term Christian Nationalism
Religious beliefs have driven political change for centuries. The question today is which Christian values will prevail.
Misrule Music
A poem
Pushing the Limits of Historical Fiction
In a new book, Álvaro Enrigue uses absurdity to tell a fuller truth.
A Western That Goes Where Cormac McCarthy Wouldn’t
Álvaro Enrigue’s Now I Surrender scraps the simplistic binary of cowboys and Indians in favor of a wild, multifaceted war story.
Why Iranians Are Weeping for a Tyrant
Both loyalists and dissidents wept over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a tyrant’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.