johnmullan
Where to start with: AS Byatt
The author and critic, who died last week aged 87, left behind a treasure trove of writings – sensuous, erudite, experimental and in love with literature. Here are some good places to begin
John Mullan
24, Nov, 2023 @4:53 PM
The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens by Helena Kelly review – great speculations
A new biography suggests everything we know about Dickens is wrong
John Mullan
16, Nov, 2023 @9:00 AM
Adapt and survive: why Dickens still endures on page, stage and screen
The new version of Great Expectations is the BBC’s seventh, while A Christmas Carol is the most adapted English classic ever. What is it about these stories that keeps us wanting more?
John Mullan
24, Mar, 2023 @4:08 PM
Toy Fights: A Boyhood by Don Paterson review – God, brawls and jazz
The poet tells the story of his early life in Dundee in vivid prose, complete with hyperbole, swearing and grumpy asides
John Mullan
20, Jan, 2023 @9:00 AM
A Guest at the Feast by Colm Tóibín review – a writer’s roots
Droll, careful reflections on Ireland, illness and religion in a welcome collection of essays
John Mullan
24, Nov, 2022 @11:00 AM
How Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy turned Thomas Cromwell from villain to hero
The Booker winner brought fierce intellectual rigour to her reimagining of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn’s story
John Mullan
23, Sep, 2022 @4:03 PM
The Mystery of Charles Dickens by AN Wilson review – a great writer's dark side
Was Dickens’s fiction shaped by the nastiness he never consciously acknowledged? A sprightly retelling of a well-known narrative
John Mullan
03, Jun, 2020 @6:30 AM
Beyond Mantel: the historical novels everyone must read
From Francis Spufford to Sarah Waters, contemporary writers have brought new complexity and playfulness to historical fiction
John Mullan
29, Feb, 2020 @9:58 AM
Cold Warriors by Duncan White review – when novels were weapons
This account of the cultural dimension of capitalism v communism offers a reminder that literature can unsettle the powerful
John Mullan
23, Dec, 2019 @10:00 AM
In Love With George Eliot by Kathy O’Shaughnessy review – an ardent homage
What really happened on George Eliot’s honeymoon? The novelist enters where biographers fear to tread
John Mullan
21, Dec, 2019 @9:00 AM
Snails, whales and spooky tales: the best books on TV this Christmas
From Julia Donaldson to MR James and Dickens, John Mullan picks the best adaptations to watch this festive season
John Mullan
19, Dec, 2019 @7:00 AM
The Lost Books of Jane Austen by Janine Barchas review – how Austen's reputation has been warped
A deliciously original study of the cheap editions of Pride and Prejudice and other novels – ignored by literary scholars – casts new light on Austen’s readership
John Mullan
11, Dec, 2019 @7:30 AM
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