5 Book Reviews You Need to Read This Week
Our quintet of quality reviews this week includes Joanna Scutts on Shawn Gude’s American Socialist, Dwight Garner on Barbara Trapido’s Brother of the More Famous Jack, Rhian Sasseen on Meghan O’Gieblyn’s Will and Attention, Lily Meyer on Madeline ffitch’s Avalon, Rise, and Max Callimanopulos.
The article reviews American Socialist: The Life and Legacy of Eugene V. Debs by Shawn Gude, published in 2026. Eugene V. Debs was a prominent American socialist leader in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for his powerful oratory skills and ability to inspire crowds. The book explores Debs’s fusion of nationalist, Christian, and Marxist ideas, which resonated deeply with audiences during a time when political speeches could electrify the public. Debs’s movement faced fierce opposition, illustrating that in the U.S., socialism’s story is largely one of resistance to its ideals. The review highlights how Debs’s legacy remains relevant today, especially amid renewed interest in socialism, as seen in figures like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and New York’s mayor Zohran Mamdani. The book argues that true change comes not from a single leader but from collective action and community resistance.
The review discusses Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido, a novel praised for its sharp, witty dialogue and eccentric characters. The title references William Butler Yeats’s brother, Jack, a painter, though the author notes the title’s obscurity may have limited the book’s reach. The story follows young people growing up in narrow cultural environments who find liberation through unconventional friendships. The reviewer compares the novel’s humor and depth to the works of Tom Stoppard, emphasizing its ability to balance serious themes with playful, almost dog-like banter among characters. The book is described as a pocket classic, offering emotional depth without sentimentality, and fitting into a genre of novels about self-discovery through unexpected connections.
Meghan O’Gieblyn’s memoir Will and Attention explores themes of free will, addiction, and spirituality, blending personal narrative with philosophical inquiry. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, the book recounts O’Gieblyn’s relapse into alcoholism and her unexpected return to Catholicism after years as an atheist. The memoir examines the tension between self-destruction and the search for meaning, drawing on thinkers like Simone Weil and Arthur Schopenhauer. The title refers to the dual focus on personal agency (will) and the attention paid to self-examination. The review praises the book for transcending typical addiction memoirs by framing the struggle within a broader intellectual tradition, avoiding simplistic judgments about choice or disease.
Madeline ffitch’s Avalon, Rise is described as a sophisticated, intellectually complex novel that blends humor with a clear ethical stance. The story revolves around a community facing a threat from white supremacists, drawing parallels to classic children’s literature like Abiyoyo and Frog and Toad, which also emphasize courage in the face of evil. The novel avoids preachiness by embracing moral ambiguity, showing how difficult it is to do the
Tom McCarthy’s *The Rhyl Poster* is reviewed as a dense, jargon-filled novel that challenges traditional storytelling. The book follows characters navigating bureaucratic systems, filled with technical terms like *networks and spreads*, *channels of association*, and *contrafluvial vectors*. The review notes that McCarthy’s prose has become increasingly complex, resembling a legal thriller written by Georges Perec, a French writer known for experimental literature. The novel’s plot is criticized for recycling elements from McCarthy’s earlier works, feeling both busy and empty. Despite initial frustration, the reviewer finds the book grows on them, suggesting it may signal a shift toward a simpler, more direct style, moving away from its previous focus on institutional critique.
