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.
Dinah’s Hat
A short story
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25 Sensational Books to Read This Summer
The Atlantic’s writers and editors have chosen fiction and nonfiction to match all sorts of moods.
An Urgent Question for Anyone Who Uses Social Media
What should we do when confronted with posts from family influencers?
What Happens When the Tradwife Dream Goes Wrong?
The hit novel Yesteryear seems to be a withering critique of influencers—but is actually more attuned to the corruptions of power.
Rock and Roll Faces the Inevitable
Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney are wringing great art and performance out of the relationship between the present and the past.
What Adults Lose When They Put Down Children’s Books
Grown-ups who dismiss literature for kids aren’t just snobbish—they’re missing out.
The Kind of Nonfiction That Wins Pulitzers
If you look closely at the history, biography, memoir, and general-nonfiction honors, a noticeable pattern emerges.
The Secret of Elizabeth Strout’s Appeal
How she writes best sellers that are also critical darlings