Forget Grit
Even the luminaries of the self-help genre have begun to recognize how little in life we can actually control.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
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
Celebrity Has Become a Jobs Program
A new book by the hosts of Who? Weekly scrutinizes how social media democratized fame.
A Forgotten Fix for American Racial Strife
Harold Cruse had a prescient understanding of why social movements stumble—and how they might find more success.
What To Read
See All/media/img/mt/2026/10/ezgif_optimized/original.gif)
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.
/media/img/mt/2026/05/Animation_The_Atlantic_A_Final_HP/original.gif)
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.
Subject to The Atlantic's Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
Fiction
See All
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.
Why So Much Millennial Fiction Is Boring
The generation’s novels tend to focus on the flatness of modern life—but alienation doesn’t have to be dull.
A Novel About the Benefits—And Costs—Of Being a Rebel
Dave Eggers’s career has long balanced two major impulses. In his new book, he lets them wrestle on the page.
The Crisis That Novelists Can’t Handle
Amitav Ghosh believes that climate change requires rethinking the novel. His new work of fiction fails that standard.
J. D. Vance’s New Book Wasn’t Meant to Be Read
Why does Communion exist?
Ode to Ashy Knees
A poem
Atlantic Reads: The Small Stuff With Ian Bogost
The Atlantic contributing writer Ian Bogost and senior editor Chris Suellentrop discuss Bogost’s new book, The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life.
A Pulitzer Winner Who Keeps Pushing Himself
Colson Whitehead’s career shows the power of restlessness in writing.
The Odyssey Was Never About the Gods
Christopher Nolan’s largely deity-free blockbuster adaptation only highlights the humanity of the original.
The Unapologetic Crime Fiction of Colson Whitehead
The Harlem Trilogy concludes with big questions about the moral universe.
Punctuation: A Generational Divide
Can parents ever learn to text like their kids? Should they even try?