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.
The Best Seller That’s Nearly Impossible to Finish Reading
James Patterson and MrBeast wrote a book in hopes of reaching young people.
A Dissatisfying Apocalypse
Hernan Diaz’s new novel, Ply, fails to fulfill the promise of every great end-of-the-world novel.
Literature Is Becoming More Like a Video Game
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is transforming how an entirely new audience engages with reading.
The Case for Sexual Fantasies, According to Gillian Anderson
The actor wants to show that women can learn from simply imagining.
The Mysteries of Human Personality
Robert Kolker’s latest book, The Vanishing Family, tracks the effects of inherited dementia and the many transformations that follow.
One Reason People Are Spending So Much Time Alone
There is a social cost to many modern conveniences.
What Annie Dillard Left Out
Dillard understood that even in suburban landscapes, nature could be transcendent—but human relationships are largely absent from her writing.
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.
The Enduring Mystery of Annie Dillard
Dillard kept much of her personal life carefully outside the scope of her nonfiction.