Alexandra Jacobs

New York

Book Critic at The New York Times

Book critic at The New York Times; author of STILL HERE: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch.

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Articles

Book Review: ‘The Sisters,’ by Jonas Hassen Khemiri

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

THE SISTERS, by Jonas Hassen Khemiri“Jonathan Franzen should be slaughtered!” a minor character suggests in Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s quite major new novel, “The Sisters.”“Five hundred kronor says you haven’t read Franzen,” his friend replies, which — meouch!Franzen’s “The Corrections” came out right before 9/11 and was 568 pages: one of the last big honking literary blockbusters, with its Norman Rockwellish cover.
‘The Sisters’ Turns a Family Mystery Into a Transnational Tour de Force

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Alexandra Jacobs

1 day agoTake a genteel painting, maybe featuring a swooning woman. Add iridescent neon type for a shock to the system. And thank (or blame) Ottessa Moshfegh for getting there early. Like fashion trends, fads in book covers come and go. One year, the backs of women’s heads might be all the rage; the next, …
A Multigenerational Historical Novel. And Only 200 Pages.

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Alexandra Jacobs

NowIn his candid memoir “Comedy Samurai,” the writer-director Larry Charles explains his comfort with failure and analyzes why creative collaborations end. Early in Larry Charles’s juicy showbiz memoir “Comedy Samurai,” he describes a formative moment writing for the television sketch show “Fridays.” …
Book Review: ‘I’ll Be Right Here,’ by Amy Bloom

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. FictionAmy Bloom’s “I’ll Be Right Here” zigzags between Paris and Poughkeepsie as it shares the saga of Algerian siblings and their chosen family.
Book Review: ‘Not My Type,’ by E. Jean Carroll

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. NonfictionHer lawyers urged that she keep her testimony short. With legal victories in hand, she’s sharing her life story, and what it was like on the stand. E.
A Relationship Breaks in Two. So Does the Book That Explains Why.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Catherine Lacey’s “The Möbius Book” is both an elliptical novella and a seething memoir. Decoding the connections is at once frustrating and exhilarating.
What Is Wrong With Men? Let Michael Douglas Explain.

4 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Alexandra Jacobs

What Is Wrong With Men? Let Michael Douglas Explain. In a sharp new book, Jessa Crispin uses the actor’s career to explore, and complicate, the “crisis of masculinity.” WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEN: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything, by Jessa Crispin Michael Douglas is one of the last actors …
'What Is Wrong With Men,' by Jessa Crispin

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

In a sharp new book, Jessa Crispin uses the actor's career to explore, and complicate, the "crisis of masculinity." WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEN: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything, by Jessa CrispinMichael Douglas is one of the last actors who could " open" a movie, back when movies were something that opened and shut firmly rather than flowing and receding into a general pool of content.
Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s,' by Paul Elie

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Alexandra Jacobs

Madonna, Scorsese, Warhol and "Piss Christ" play roles in Paul Elie's maybe-too-comprehensive look at how divisive expressions of faith came to the fore. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. THE LAST SUPPER: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s, by Paul ElieWhat, you thought our long national nightmare of celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live" was finally over? Keep dreaming.
They Were Identical ‘Twinnies’ Who Charmed Orwell, Camus and More

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Alexandra Jacobs

9 hours agoThe bestselling novelist Robert Harris says a conclave to select a new Pope has a similar dynamic to hit TV show The Traitors. The author of Conclave, which was last year turned into an Oscar-winning film adaptation, said the programme - in which "faithful" contestants are tasked with trying to work …