New Fiction by Vladimir Sorokin—the Church of Jonathan Franzen—Anthony Doerr’s “Cloud Cuckoo Land”

Plus: an essay on the experience of celebrity by Chris Hayes; and Agnes Callard on marital loneliness. View in browser | Update your preferences Fiction “Red Pyramid” “There was no expression on the man’s large, mealy-white, pear-shaped face. No expression at all.” By Vladimir Sorokin This Week in Fiction Vladimir Sorokin on Supernatural Encounters The author discusses “Red Pyramid,” his story from the latest issue of the magazine. By Deborah Treisman Fiction “Meeting with Enrique Lihn” If you liked “Red Pyramid,” we think you’ll enjoy this story, from 2008. By Roberto Bolaño Essays & Criticism Books The Church of Jonathan Franzen In “Crossroads,” bad decisions and bad faith weigh down the characters—and propel the novel to startling heights. By Kathryn Schulz Books Anthony Doerr’s Optimism Engine In “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” the world may be falling apart but everything and everyone must come together. By James Wood Essay On the Internet, We’re Always Famous What happens when the experience of celebrity becomes universal? By Chris Hayes More from The New Yorker Cultural Comment The Problem of Marital Loneliness The new “Scenes from a Marriage,” on HBO, avoids the dark questions that Ingmar Bergman confronted in the original. By Agnes Callard The New Yorker Live Field Notes from Afghanistan’s Future, and Our Own Tune in on Thursday as four journalists with extensive reporting experience in Afghanistan discuss the chaotic U.S. withdrawal and the lives of Afghans under the Taliban. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for Books & Fiction from The New Yorker. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up. Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our Privacy Policy Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.