Maureen Corrigan

Maureen Corrigan appears in the following:

'Doubter's Almanac' Is A Family Saga, Plus Algebraic Equations

Monday, February 22, 2016

Ethan Canin traces the complicated lives of two generations of mathematical geniuses in his new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls it an "elegant and devastating novel."

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'The Yid' Puts A Brash, Screwball Spin On Soviet Anti-Semitism

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Paul Goldberg's debut novel is an ambitious historical fantasy about Stalin's 1953 plan to purge Jews from the Soviet Union. Critic Maureen Corrigan says The Yid is a wildly inventive "what if" story.

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'Portable Veblen' Puts A Quirky Spin On Marriage And Family

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Elizabeth McKenzie's new novel about the pitfalls of approaching marriage is a sharply written romantic comedy with elements of experimental fiction. Maureen Corrigan calls it "totally endearing."

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Childhood Resentments Mix With Tragedy In 'The Past'

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Four adult siblings agree to spend one final summer vacation together in Tessa Hadley's new novel. Reviewer Maureen Corrigan says The Past is "as disturbing as it is diverting."

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Revisiting The 'Last Interview' Of Ernest Hemingway, Philip K. Dick And Nora Ephron

Monday, January 11, 2016

A series of books published by Melville House gathers together the final interviews conducted with prominent deceased writers and thinkers. Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the latest in the series.

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Maureen Corrigan's Best Books Of 2015: Short(ish) Books That Pack A Big Punch

Monday, December 07, 2015

This year, short stories and fragmented intense memoirs — along with the incredible true story of a short-haired dog — dominate Maureen Corrigan's best books list.

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Gaitskill Spins A Swirling Tale Of Love, Delusion And Horses In 'The Mare'

Monday, November 23, 2015

Mary Gaitskill's new novel chronicles the complex relationship between a poor black girl from Brooklyn and her middle-aged white benefactors. Maureen Corrigan calls The Mare a "raw, beautiful story."

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'This Old Man' Is A Wry, Nimble Take On Life, Aging And Baseball

Thursday, November 12, 2015

At 95, New Yorker editor Roger Angell has written decades' worth of books and articles. Maureen Corrigan says it's a great pleasure to spend time in the company of his latest book, This Old Man.

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'Twain & Stanley Enter Paradise' Educates But Doesn't Entertain Its Readers

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Oscar Hijuelos' posthumously published novel chronicles the friendship between Mark Twain and explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Maureen Corrigan says the book lacks the magic of Hijuelos' best work.

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Spellbinding 'Witches' Offers A Fresh Take On A Familiar Story

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

In her new book, Stacy Schiff evokes the world of Salem, Mass., and the bitter winter of 1692 when 19 people were hanged for witchcraft. Reviewer Maureen Corrigan calls The Witches a "haunting" tale.

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Poetic And Expansive, 'City On Fire' Ultimately Falls Short Of Its Reach

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Garth Risk Hallberg's 900-page debut novel is an intricately-plotted story set in chaotic 1970s New York. Critic Maureen Corrigan says City On Fire has much to admire, even if its ending falls flat.

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Patti Smith Reveals Her Solitary Soul In 'M Train'

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Smith follows up her National Book Award-winning memoir, Just Kids, with another memoir, M Train. Critic Maureen Corrigan says it is a haunting story about weathering life's storms.

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A Broken-Hearted Heroine Picks Up The Pieces In Jojo Moyes' 'After You'

Thursday, October 01, 2015

Moyes' follow-up to her 2012 novel Me Before You explores the depths of grief and the paths of resilience. Maureen Corrigan calls After You "an affecting [and] entertaining female adventure tale."

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'Fates And Furies' Offers A Tour-De-Force Plot, Minus Compelling Characters

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Lauren Groff's new novel paints a portrait of marriage from the clashing viewpoints of a husband and wife. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Fates and Furies is "a marvel" — but that it could be better.

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'Lost Child' Wraps Up Ferrante's Neapolitan Series With 'Perfect Devastation'

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Elena Ferrante's edgy "Neapolitan Novels" chronicle a decades-long friendship between two Italian women. Maureen Corrigan says the fourth and final novel, The Story of the Lost Child, is spectacular.

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Franzen's Latest Novel: An Ambitious But Tarnished 'Purity'

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Jonathan Franzen weaves together a cavalcade of stories and characters in his latest novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan says that despite its breadth, Purity fails to "emotionally move the reader."

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'A Manual For Cleaning Women' Showcases A Gritty, One-Of-A-Kind Voice

Monday, August 24, 2015

A posthumously published collection of stories steers recognition to Lucia Berlin, whose fictional narrators are the sort who have seen it all and aren't afraid to tell you about their crappy day.

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Confronting Mortality In An Unsettling, Inspiring 'Tour Of Bones'

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Before her death in 2014, author Denise Inge took a spiritual journey to bone houses throughout Europe. Critic Maureen Corrigan says the resulting book, The Tour of Bones, is "strange and chaotic."

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'Dragonfish' Offers A Noir Vision Of An 'American Dream Gone Rancid'

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

The debut novel by Vu Tran is a crime drama involving a white cop, his Vietnamese-born ex-wife and her new husband, a violent crime boss. Maureen Corrigan calls Dragonfish a "haunting literary novel."

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Infidelity Is Steeped In Suspense In 'Among The Ten Thousand Things'

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Julia Pierpont's debut novel opens with a young girl's discovery of her father's infidelity. Maureen Corrigan says that what follows is so unexpected and tense that it's a "fresh pleasure to read."

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