Spectrum
The Beach Boys tell their own story of triumph and tragedy
It’s not all good vibrations, as our reviewers reveal in this week’s pick of fiction and non-fiction releases.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll
Latest
His book was rejected 13 times, now it’s a hit TV show
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer won him a Pulitzer Prize and employs cinematic tropes, but that doesn’t stop him being a fierce critic of the Hollywood machine.
- by Kurt Johnson
The Rock is flogging shampoo. Celeb endorsements have gone too far
Kendall Jenner has a toothpaste brand and I can’t fight the sense that these might not be passion projects.
- by Genevieve Novak
Dramatic novel asks pertinent questions about mental health treatment
Anne Buist’s experience as a perinatal psychiatrist informs the novel she has written with Graeme Simsion.
- by Jessie Tu
This classy detective novel marries weighty concerns with playful delight
Steven Carroll’s latest novel represents a shift in genre after his prize-winning books about T.S. Eliot.
- by James Bradley
A scathing portrait of London, a society steeped in corruption
Andrew O’Hagan’s latest novel is a sprawling bit of social realism that exposes the inner workings of a society.
- by James Ley
Was Juliette Binoche wary about acting with her ex? It’s complicated
The Taste of Things director Tran Anh Hung found his co-stars’ history was a recipe for success.
- by Stephanie Bunbury
I may never eat fish again after reading this new book
James Bradley’s epic non-fiction book Deep Water explores the world’s oceans and our interconnectedness with them. And it may change your thinking about many things.
- by Kylie Northover
★★★★★
Review
This astonishing and tense new show is a must-watch
This gripping six-part series starring Robyn Malcolm in a standout role is a messy, morally complex tale.
- by Kylie Northover
Long before ghosting, there were ghosts - at least that’s what the stories said
This year’s Melbourne Writers Festival unleashes the spirits of characters past and stories still to be told … here’s a taste of what’s to come.
This twisty psychological thriller is set at a divorce ranch for women
Our reviewers cast their eyes over the eight books you’re about to see everywhere.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp