Critical Notes

Roundup: Harold Bloom, Michael Ondaatje, Aravind Adiga, more

By Mark Athitakis

William Deresiewicz tees off on Harold Bloom’s reputation in general and his latest book, The Anatomy of Influence, in particular in the New Republic. “To say that [Harold] Bloom has turned himself into a celebrity is to recognize that he has conspired, with ample help from the media, to make his personality more significant than anything he does, and that everything he does now serves to keep that personality afloat before the public.”

Jaya Aninda Chatterjee reviews Michael Ondaatje’s novel The Cat’s Table for the Millions.

Matthew Tiffany reviews Lou Ureneck’s memoir Cabin for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Marcela Valdes reviews Aravind Adiga’s novel Last Man in Tower for the Washington Post.

Ruth Franklin reviews Elisabeth Gille’s memoir about her mother, Irene Nemirovsky, The Mirador, for the New Republic.

Jim Carmin interviews Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson for Library Journal.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve: How the World Became Modern for NPR.

Lev Grossman reviews Neal Stephenson’s novel Reamde for Time.

Laura Collins-Hughes reviews Emmanuel Carrere’s memoir, Lives Other Than My Own, for the Boston Globe.

The Times Literary Supplement has rebooted its literary blog.

Attention New Yorkers: Former NBCC board member Celia McGee is curating a new reading series at CUNY’s Macaulay campus. The first event is tomorrow night and features novelist Julie Otsuka, author of The Buddha in the Attic.

Your reviews and recommendations help seed these roundups: If you’re an NBCC member with a review you’d like considered for inclusion, please email nbcccritics@gmail.com. You can also get our attention by using the Twitter hashtag #nbcc, posting on the wall of our Facebook page, or joining our members-only LinkedIn group.