The Great Gatsby at 100
Sean MurphyF. Scott Fitzgerald got America in his sights, for all time Why is the The Great Gatsby the great American novel? Because it mattered then, and it matters now. Because it was…
1925, 2025
“Civilization’s going to pieces...I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read ‘The Rise of the Colored Empires’ by this man Goddard? Well, it’s a fine book,…
The Style’s the Thing: The Inimitable Martin Amis
Martin Amis poses for a photographer June 12, 2000 at a book signing at the Beverly Hills Library in Beverly Hills, CA. (by Frederick M. Brown/Online USA) Style is not…
1455 RECOMMENDS: A READING LIST
Coming soon: a movie list and, inevitably, some musical suggestions to accompany social distancing, working from home, reading, relaxing, and staying both healthy and sane. But first, some easily recommended books. Disclaimer:…
Melville at 200 and, of course, Moby Dick
Herman Melville is not only, arguably, our most American author; he is America. Author of the most successful second act in literary history (posthumous, alas), Melville is sui generis as…
Murphy’s Law, Vol. One: A Primer
In this collection of essays, reviews and ruminations, best-selling author Sean Murphy attempts to tackle the world in writing, one topic at a time. Selecting a sampling of his most…
The Greatness of the Gatsby
Kathryn Schulz has seized the occasion of the newest—and probably not the last—screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby to take the great American novel down several pegs. Indeed, she is…