Blogcritics

The New Canon: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Ted Gioia — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:58:34 EST

Is J.K. Rowling's writing just "clich�s and dead metaphors" as Harold Bloom argues, or is there something more to Harry Potter?
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K....

The New Canon: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Ted Gioia — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:44:16 EST

In Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy shifts quickly from loving descriptions of flora, fauna, and rocks into accounts of bloodthirsty violence.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.Cormac...

The New Canon: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Ted Gioia — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:17:38 EST

In The Secret History, Donna Tartt charts the path by which a clique of college students become cold-blooded killers.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at The Secret History by Donna Tartt.In Alfred...

The New Canon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Ted Gioia — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:54:40 EST

The line between comic book heroics and real life exploits is often blurred in Michael Chabon's fanciful novel
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by...

The New Canon: Blindness by José Saramago

Ted Gioia — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:05:50 EST

Jos� Saramago explores the chaos that ensues when an epidemic of blindness spreads rapidly through society.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Blindness by José Saramago.Storytellers have...

The New Canon: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Ted Gioia — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:53:46 EDT

In Cormac McCarthy's The Road, a man and his son struggle for survival in the aftermath of a devastating cataclysm.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Cormac McCarthy’s...

The New Canon: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

Ted Gioia — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:32:18 EDT

In "The Feast of the Goat," Mario Vargas Llosa delivers a gripping account of a political cult of personality run amok.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa.When the...

The New Canon: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Ted Gioia — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 08:06:23 EDT

Breaks almost every rule of fiction, from the typographical to the metaphysical.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Some novels...

The New Canon: Atonement by Ian McEwan

Ted Gioia — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 17:14:28 EDT

Ian McEwan's masterful novel starts out like a Jane Austen country romance but ends up a post-modern meta-fiction.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Atonement by Ian McEwan. There were so many ways Ian...

The New Canon: Possession - A Romance by A.S. Byatt

Ted Gioia — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:56:45 EDT

A.S. Byatt masterfully juxtaposes a modern day love story and a secret Victorian romance in a novel of academic intrigue.
The New Canon is a regular feature, contributed by Ted Gioia, focusing on great works of fiction published since 1985. These books represent the finest literature of the current era, and are gaining recognition as the new classics of our time. In this installment of The New Canon, Gioia looks at Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt. Roland Mitchell,...