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
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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.
A Nation of Strange, Idle Men
Jon Ronson’s The Castle argues that men are giving up on society because they have nothing better to do.
Facing the Music
A poem
Cormac McCarthy’s Midlife Crisis
Heading west at 40 transformed his writing—and American literature.
The Spectacle of 1980s Hollywood
Jackie Collins wrote flashy Hollywood thrillers, but isn’t often thought of as a canonical Los Angeles writer.
Jackie Collins Wrote Her Own Revolution
The novelist imagined women enjoying equality in the bedroom and the boardroom. Are we any closer to living in that world?
A Great Novel Becomes a Bad Show
Don’t watch The Shards. Go read the book instead.
The Sadness of Being the ‘Last Man’
Francis Fukuyama has long been considered a naive triumphalist. He now wants to set the record straight.
Cereal Has Strayed Too Far
How breakfast became dessert
The Novel That Looks Death in the Eye
Emma Cline’s Switzy might not make readers happy, but it could strike them with moments of sublime clarity.
Abstract
A poem