In 1867, the British poet Matthew Arnold published his 37-line lyric poem "Dover Beach," which concludes with this stanza: Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor…

I don't usually read books like this, collections of smaller pieces. In this case, six essays and 23 literary reviews. I call them "literary reviews" rather than "book reviews" because, in them, Oates examines at least a good chunk — and often the entire breadth — of a writer's work. Her essays deal with the sudden…

Starting to read a new Terry Pratchett novel, for me, has been a different experience since December, 2007. That's when Pratchett announced that he was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Each time, I wonder: Is this the book that will show the impact of the disease? Will this be the one that shows the…