Books & arts

Cherchez les femmes
A French politician’s secret child re-evaluates her life

But in “The Margot Affair” it is her mother, not her absent father, who commands most attention

Orange warning
Donald Trump is not like other presidents, argues Masha Gessen

“Surviving Autocracy” chronicles his tussles with America’s institutions

Creative destruction
The jolting artistry of Michaela Coel

The writer and star of “I May Destroy You” explains her arresting style

A night at the Cathay
A pair of displaced dynasties shaped two extraordinary cities

Two new books chronicle the making of Shanghai and Hong Kong

Home Entertainment
Chekhov’s trip to Sakhalin puts lockdown in perspective

When he crossed the strait to the island prison colony, the writer felt he was entering hell

Home Entertainment
In “Jaws”, bungling officials confront an invisible threat

Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster is apt lockdown viewing in more ways than one

Home Entertainment
The BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice” is a lockdown delight

Like many families in quarantine, the Bennet sisters spend their days driving each other nuts

Watching the detectives
Television has distorted Americans’ view of policing

But the evolution of cop dramas in the past suggests they can do better

A hill of beans to die on
Chronicling Donald Trump’s trade war with China

Two books explain the origins of the tension—and why it is set to last

Johnson
The rules of coronaspeak

Good coinages are much rarer than failed ones. Here are some useful guidelines

Perspectives
How HIV/AIDS changed the world

The worst of that pandemic may be over, but its effects endure