How American Girl Doll Lost Its Way
At 40, the brand faces a midlife crisis.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
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.
The Paradox of African Writing and AI
A past winner of the Caine Prize draws a hard lesson from the controversy over its latest recipient.
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
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.
50 Unforgettable Love Stories
Centuries of joyous, tragic, tantalizing, enduring fiction
Like Yesteryear, but Better
In Sarah Anderson’s novel, Fallow, a woman is hired to bear children for busy C-suite executives.
The Real Selling Point of Romantasy
The best-selling genre is more than just smut.
A Novel That Turns the Tables on AI
Joanna Kavenna’s book about the battle of man versus machine is both funny and deadly serious.
Good Villains Are Hard to Come By. This One’s Great.
A fascinating new novel pits a small Appalachian community against a very online foe.
The Journalist and the Manipulator
Janet Malcolm policed the literary ruses of others, but wasn’t afraid to deploy them herself.
Immigration Is a Poorly Oiled Machine
Kelly Lytle Hernández’s new book, Racist by Design, makes a strong but incomplete—and counterproductive—argument.
Yet Another Literary Prizewinner Seems to Be AI
The prestigious Caine Prize, announced last week, went to a story with many red flags.