Martin Chilton

1 week ago | independent.co.uk | Martin Chilton

the listMartin Chilton shares his May reading highlightsThe complex life of Mark Twain, a writer dubbed “the Father of American Literature”, is told expertly in Pulitzer winner Ron Chernow’s comprehensive 1,100-word biography Mark Twain (Allen Lane). In the years preceding Twain’s death in 1910, at the age of 74, it becomes a deeply sorry tale indeed. The author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a heavy drinker, plagued by bronchial coughs and itchy piles.

1 month ago | msn.com | Martin Chilton

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1 month ago | independent.co.uk | Martin Chilton

The Reading ListAs the world approaches the centenary of the celebrated novelist, television pundit and all-around man of letters, Martin Chilton recalls his greatest work, most withering putdowns, and chronicles a career that devolved into ‘crackpot’ conspiracy theories, illness and, perhaps most depressing of all, boredomFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing.

1 month ago | independent.co.uk | Martin Chilton

The ListMartin Chilton shares his April reading highlightsDivisive debates about “cancel culture” are hard to avoid these days, with most confrontations offering scant evidence of rigorous thinking. Two books in April deal with this controversial topic in different ways.

2 months ago | independent.co.uk | Martin Chilton

The ListMartin Chilton shares his March reading highlightsAnne Sebba’s The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) is a tale of endurance, revolving around the inspirational force of music and the sheer power of small acts of kindness. The book, a well-researched study that includes first-hand accounts about surviving Nazi death camps, is also a testimony to the strength of female solidarity in the most wretched circumstances.