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John Leonard

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03:34

A Catalog of Strong Opinions

Book critic John Leonard says that the collected letters of humorist S.J. Perelman reveal a surprising amount of vitriol directed toward a number of notable film and literary figures. But it's not all doom and gloom.

Review
03:46

Predestination Without Grace

Book critic John Leonard recommends Wilfrid Sheed's new novel The Boys of Winter. Set in the Hamptons, in questions the nature of authorship, narrative, and creativity.

Review
03:48

A Fairy Tale About Germany

Book critic John Leonard says that all of Gunter Grass's work can be seen as a sometimes fanciful examination of his country's brutal history. Case in point: Grass's new book, The Rat, is a science fiction-inspired novel about the end of the world.

Review
04:34

A Thriller that's More than a Thriller

Book critic John Leonard says that Robert Stuart Nathan's new mystery book, The White Tiger, features a memorable portrayal of Beijing, and makes for fine summer reading.

Review
03:25

Imagining Ludwig Wittgenstein

Bruce Duffy substantial debut novel is about the real-life philosopher, who wrote little about his own life. Book critic John Leonard says it's astonishing--and never reductive.

Review
03:57

Garcia Marquez's Account of "Clandestine" Activities

The Nobel Prize-winning author condensed 600 pages of notes into a slim biography of filmmaker Miguel Littin, who traveled throughout Chile to salvage footage of life under Augusto Pinochet. Book critic John Leonard says LIttin is lucky to be the subject of Garcia Marquez's "magic" writing.

Review
03:51

The History of Yale's Poets and Spies

Fresh Air book critic John Leonard reviews a new book by Robin W. Winks, which tells the story of the OSS and CIA's recruitment of scholars at Yale University.

Review

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