Gregg LaGambina

11/16/15

<i>Beatlebone </i>overcomes a gimmick for a surprisingly poignant Beatles story

Beatlebone overcomes a gimmick for a surprisingly poignant Beatles story

It feels like a cheat to reveal Beatlebone’s unfolding secret, or even the main character’s identity, and deprive…

10/19/15

Elvis Costello pens a scattershot scrapbook autobiography

There is another, better book hidden inside Elvis Costello’s 670-page memoir Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.…

9/14/15

In Jonathan Franzen’s <i>Purity</i>, truth is found in fiction—not in data

In Jonathan Franzen’s Purity, truth is found in fiction—not in data

For Jonathan Franzen, form and function are inseparable: to write seriously about the human condition requires a…

3/23/15

David Vann leaves the forest to find yet another fractured family in <i>Aquarium</i>

David Vann leaves the forest to find yet another fractured family in Aquarium

David Vann is one of the more curious creatures of American letters. He was born in Alaska, currently lives and…

2/25/15

Sickbed successes: 20 great works created by the gravely ill

A note to idlers and procrastinators everywhere: The next time you think you don’t have the energy to “deal,” think…

2/16/15

<i>Satin Island</i> plays with genre on slippery ground

Satin Island plays with genre on slippery ground

In a book that’s partly about literal and metaphorical surfaces, it’s only fitting that the story should begin…

12/17/14

What book did you finally get around to reading in 2014?

Welcome back to AVQ&A, where we throw out a question for discussion among the staff and readers. Consider this a…

11/4/14

Denis Johnson’s <i>The Laughing Monsters </i>asks what it means to belong anywhere

Denis Johnson’s The Laughing Monsters asks what it means to belong anywhere

After publishing nearly 20 books, including novels, short stories, poetry, essays, and plays, Denis Johnson doesn’t…

9/29/14

Martin Amis looks at the domestic life of a Nazi in <i>The Zone Of Interest</i>

Martin Amis looks at the domestic life of a Nazi in The Zone Of Interest

Martin Amis provides a clue—a few pages into the “Acknowledgments And Afterword” for his 15th novel, The Zone Of…

9/8/14

Ian McEwan’s latest novel is well executed and tidy, if unremarkable

Ian McEwan’s 13th novel, The Children Act, is so perfectly made, well-mannered, studied, and astute, any reader…

5/12/14

Joshua Ferris’ latest novel explores what it means to be “connected”

No one reads the novels of Stanley Elkin anymore, so it could be misconstrued as a kind of slight to claim that with…

3/24/14

New Alex Chilton bio brings the facts, forgets the heart

Maybe the peripatetic nature of Alex Chilton’s life combined with his reluctance to be classified as a particular…

3/10/14

Literary biographer Blake Bailey turns his eye toward his own family

Blake Bailey’s remarkable memoir, The Splendid Things We Planned: A Family Portrait, is a reminder that the best…

1/27/14

<i>Orfeo</i> ponders philosophy and music in a socio-political thriller

Orfeo ponders philosophy and music in a socio-political thriller

The question of where to begin with a review of Richard Powers’ 11th novel, Orfeo, is a complex one. Yet it…

1/21/14

Frankenstein’s monster makes an unlikely cameo in <i>The Spirit Of The Beehive</i>

Frankenstein’s monster makes an unlikely cameo in The Spirit Of The Beehive

Every day, Watch This offers staff recommendations inspired by a new movie coming out that week. This week: Stoked…

1/20/14

<i>Andrew’s Brain</i> is a grieving man’s confession from his therapist’s couch

Andrew’s Brain is a grieving man’s confession from his therapist’s couch

The titular Andrew is on his ex-wife’s doorstep, listening to her new husband cut him down to size:

12/9/13

Our favorite books of the year

This year, The A.V. Club invited our regular book writers and staff to pick their favorite books released in 2013.…

11/20/13

Peter Watkins puts American bloodlust on trial

Every day, Watch This offers staff recommendations inspired by a new movie coming out that week. This week: The…

11/18/13

Robert Stone: <em>Death Of The Black-Haired Girl</em>

Robert Stone: Death Of The Black-Haired Girl

Near the end of Robert Stone’s new novel, Death Of The Black-Haired Girl, Eddie Stack, reeling from the death of his…

9/25/13

How David Vann’s literature about violence is different from literature with violence

“The Bible celebrates many killings,” writes the nameless narrator of David Vann’s fourth novel, Goat Mountain.…

Gregg LaGambina's posts