Books Update: The Americans: Edward P. Jones

A.O. Scott writes about the American experience in the fiction of Jones

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 14, 2020 Edward P. Jones, in 2005.Holde Schneider/VISUM, via Redux Dear Reader, This week brings the second installment of A.O. Scott’s series of essays on American writers whose work reflects and helps us understand the complex nature — and variations — of the American character. In his second essay, Scott looks at the work of Edward P. Jones, who is perhaps best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Known World.” Scott joins me on the podcast this week to discuss Jones’s work. Also on the podcast this week: Eric Jay Dolin. His new book, “A Furious Sky,” is about the history of America’s hurricanes, a timely subject as we enter hurricane season. Elizabeth Kolbert, whose book “The Sixth Extinction” was one of our 10 Best Books of 2014, reviews. We’ve got lots of fiction this week, from a beachy lineup of books for your days off to the new Emma Donoghue novel, from a new book by Catherine Lacey to the latest in crime. You can listen to the audiobook version of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” en route to the seashore. (Or while running errands or on your morning run, as the case may be.) Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST The Fictional World of Edward P. Jones A.O. Scott talks about Jones’s work and the American experience, and Eric Jay Dolin discusses “A Furious Sky.” FICTION fiction Don’t Believe History Repeats Itself? Read This Book Emma Donoghue’s “The Pull of the Stars” takes readers inside an ill-equipped Dublin hospital during a viral pandemic — in 1918. By Karen Thompson Walker crime Plucky Characters? Ugh. Make Mine Prickly and Difficult. Marilyn Stasio finds much to like in the latest batch of crime novels, filled with abrasive, unpleasant sorts. By Marilyn Stasio fiction How Do You Translate a Comic Book Into Audio? Ask Neil Gaiman In a new audio production, James McAvoy, Michael Sheen and a full cast give voice to “The Sandman.” By Maya Phillips fiction An Unidentifiable Stranger Plunges a Community Into Crisis in ‘Pew’ The new novel by Catherine Lacey features a narrator of no discernible gender, race or past and a Christian town whose tolerant posture is sorely tested. By Fiona Maazel fiction Are They Still Beach Books if You’re Not Reading Them on the Beach? Of course they are — and this summer, more than ever, indulge in some page-turning escapism. By Elisabeth Egan fiction A Novel of Sexual Obsession Has Something to Say About How We Tell Stories “22 Minutes of Unconditional Love,” by Daphne Merkin, muses on the process of making up stories while recounting a young woman’s torrid affair with an older man. By Adrienne Brodeur fiction When Bonnie Met Clyde Christina Schwarz’s fifth novel tells the life story of half of the famous duo, showing the loneliness of life on the lam. By Elizabeth Brundage fiction What Parents Leave Behind When They Die Jill McCorkle’s “Hieroglyphics” examines the end of life through the stories of an aging couple and a tragic murder trial. By Sylvia Brownrigg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction Why the Working Class Votes Against Its Economic Interests Two new books, Robert B. Reich’s “The System” and Zephyr Teachout’s “Break ’Em Up,” examine the impact of economic inequality in America. By Jeff Madrick nonfiction Two Syrian Brothers, One Longing to Stay, the Other Determined to Leave “The Road From Raqqa,” by Jordan Ritter Conn, retraces the divergent paths of two siblings through Syria’s civil war. By Jessica Goudeau nonfiction When Miami Was Awash in Drugs, Crime and Social Unrest “The Year of Dangerous Days,” by Nicholas Griffin, delves into the refugee crisis, race riots and drug trade that dominated the city in 1980. By Gilbert King nonfiction A History of Hurricanes in America and the Devastation They Have Wrought In “A Furious Sky,” Eric Jay Dolin recounts 500 years of reckoning with the monster storms that come in off the Atlantic Ocean. By Elizabeth Kolbert nonfiction Oliver Stone’s Reel History In “Chasing the Light,” the Oscar-winning director and screenwriter has finally found a historical figure he can portray with all the bias he desires: himself. By Benjamin Svetkey nonfiction Young, in Love and Trying to Bring Down the Third Reich “The Bohemians,” by the German historian Norman Ohler, recounts the lives of Harro and Libertas Schulze-Boysen, an idealistic young couple, who helped lead the anti-Nazi resistance. By Ariana Neumann shortlist Three New Books by Women in the American Political Sphere Memoirs by Representative Ilhan Omar, the political analyst Tiffany Cross and the former congresswoman Katie Hill recount trials, victories and hopes for changing the country. By Christina Cauterucci Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books 3 Graphic Novel Detective Stories Dynamic duos set out to solve mysteries for others and end up uncovering truths about themselves. By Sheela Chari FEATURES Edward P. Jones’s Carefully Quantified Literary World In the second installment of "The Americans," his series on overlooked or under-read writers, A.O. Scott considers the scrupulously documented, meticulously observed fiction of Edward P. Jones. By A.O. Scott by the book To the Mathematician Eugenia Cheng, There’s No Gap Between Art and Science “The boundaries between subjects are really artificial constructs by humans, like the boundaries between colors in a rainbow.” The Celebrity Bookshelf Detective Is Back We peer over the shoulders of Gwyneth Paltrow, Regina King, Charlamagne tha God, Yo-Yo Ma and others for a glimpse at their reading habits. By Gal Beckerman and Noor Qasim New & Noteworthy, From Corruption to Male Privilege A selection of recent titles of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. editors’ choice 10 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Missing Weddings? Lucy Foley’s Sinister Best Seller Will Cheer You Up When it comes to nightmare nuptials, “The Guest List” takes the cake. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘Find Me’ and ‘The Revisioners’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. 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