Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones edits the LRB blog from a secure bunker, in an undisclosed location. Game Theory, a novel, will be published by John Murray in July, if the world doesn’t end in the meantime.

In the LRB Archive:

• Diary: The Bomb in My Head · 5 April 2018

• Into the Woods: The Italian Election · 8 March 2018

• X marks the self · 16 November 2017

  • Pinpoint: How GPS Is Changing Our World by Greg Milner

• She’s not scared: Niccolò Ammaniti · 7 September 2017

  • Anna by Niccolò Ammaniti, translated by Jonathan Hunt

• If on a winter’s night a cyclone: ‘The Great Derangement’ · 18 May 2017

  • The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable by Amitav Ghosh

• The Planet That Wasn’t There: Phantom Planets · 19 January 2017

  • The Hunt for Vulcan: How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet and Deciphered the Universe by Thomas Levenson

• Earthquake! · 17 November 2016

• Night Jars: ‘The North Water’ · 14 July 2016

  • The North Water by Ian McGuire

• Bowie’s Last Tape · 4 February 2016

• One Last Selfless Act: Sunjeev Sahota · 22 October 2015

  • The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota

• Never Not Slightly Comical: Amit Chaudhuri · 2 July 2015

  • Odysseus Abroad by Amit Chaudhuri

• Short Cuts · 7 May 2015

• Short Cuts · 23 April 2015

• Awfully Present: The Tambora Eruption · 5 February 2015

  • Tambora: The Eruption that Changed the World by Gillen D’Arcy Wood

• Every Open Mouth a Grave: Joshua Ferris · 21 August 2014

  • To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris

• Short Cuts · 17 July 2014

• Short Cuts · 5 June 2014

• This is not a ghost story: Nathan Filer · 20 February 2014

  • The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

• Necrophiliac Striptease: Mummies · 6 February 2014

  • The Mummy’s Curse: The True History of a Dark Fantasy by Roger Luckhurst

• What the hell’s that creep up to?: J. Robert Lennon · 21 November 2013

  • Familiar by J. Robert Lennon

• Call me Ismail: Wu Ming · 18 July 2013

  • Altai by Wu Ming, translated by Shaun Whiteside

• How can we live with it?: How to Survive Climate Change · 23 May 2013

  • The Carbon Crunch: How We’re Getting Climate Change Wrong – and How to Fix It by Dieter Helm
  • Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering by Clive Hamilton
  • The City and the Coming Climate: Climate Change in the Places We Live by Brian Stone

• Short Cuts · 22 November 2012

• Short Cuts · 25 October 2012

• Diary: Death in Florence · 21 June 2012

• The Third Suitcase: Michael Frayn · 24 May 2012

  • Skios by Michael Frayn

• So Ordinary, So Glamorous: Eternal Bowie · 5 April 2012

  • Starman: David Bowie, the Definitive Biography by Paul Trynka
  • The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s by Peter Doggett

• Short Cuts: Costa Concordia · 9 February 2012

• Les zombies, c’est vous: Zombies · 26 January 2012

  • Zone One by Colson Whitehead

• Spot the Mistakes: Ann Patchett · 25 August 2011

  • State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

• Short Cuts: Radio 3’s ‘X Factor’ · 14 July 2011

• Short Cuts: ‘Niche’ · 3 March 2011

• ‘Oh no Oh No OH NO’: Julian Barnes · 17 February 2011

  • Pulse by Julian Barnes
  • Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes

• Dropping In for a While: Maile Meloy · 2 December 2010

  • Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy

• Short Cuts: Facebook Break-Ups · 7 October 2010

• Short Cuts: E.O. Wilson’s ‘novel’ · 8 July 2010

• No Longer Merely the Man Who Ate His Boots: The Northwest Passage · 27 May 2010

  • Arctic Labyrinth: The Quest for the Northwest Passage by Glyn Williams
  • Franklin: Tragic Hero of Polar Navigation by Andrew Lambert

• Oh, the Irony: Ian McEwan · 25 March 2010

  • Solar by Ian McEwan

• Short Cuts: Bio Insecurity · 5 November 2009

• Call It Capitalism: Pynchon · 10 September 2009

  • Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

• Plottergeist: Sarah Waters · 9 July 2009

  • The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

• Short Cuts: Politicians’ Spouses · 11 June 2009

• Against Policy: ‘The Manual of Detection’ · 28 May 2009

  • The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

• Short Cuts: Thomas Jones retreats to his cave · 30 April 2009

• Mistaken or Doomed: Barry Unsworth · 12 March 2009

  • Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth

• Hypnotise Her: Axel Munthe’s exaggerations · 29 January 2009

  • Axel Munthe: The Road to San Michele by Bengt Jangfeldt, translated by Harry Watson

• Short Cuts: Malcolm Gladwell · 4 December 2008

• The Shirtless Man: the murder of Bishop Gerardi · 23 October 2008

  • The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi? by Francisco Goldman

• Loserdom: The Novel as Computer Game · 25 September 2008

  • The Broken World by Tim Etchells

• Short Cuts: Spies Wanted · 17 July 2008

• Diary: The Last Days of eBay · 19 June 2008

• Short Cuts: The Italian Elections · 24 April 2008

• Whisky and Soda Man: J.G. Ballard · 10 April 2008

  • Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton – An Autobiography by J.G. Ballard

• Short Cuts: Blogged Down · 24 January 2008

• Rut after Rut after Rut: Denis Johnson’s Vietnam · 29 November 2007

  • Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson

• The Lady in the Back Seat: Robert Harris’s Alternative Realities · 15 November 2007

  • The Ghost by Robert Harris

• Short Cuts: A Spasso con Gusto · 1 November 2007

• Feuds Corner: Ismail Kadare · 6 September 2007

  • Chronicle in Stone by Ismail Kadare, translated by Arshi Pipa
  • Agamemnon’s Daughter: A Novella and Stories by Ismail Kadare, original translation by Tedi Papavrami and Jusuf Vrioni, translated from the French by David Bellos
  • The Successor by Ismail Kadare, original translation by Tedi Papavrami, translated from the French by David Bellos
  • The File on H by Ismail Kadare, original translation by Jusuf Vrioni, translated from the French by David Bellos

• Short Cuts: Kicking Dick Cheney · 2 August 2007

• This Is Not That Place: David Eggers escapes from Sudan · 21 June 2007

  • What Is the What by Dave Eggers

• Not a Nasty: Peter Ho Davies · 24 May 2007

  • The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies

• Short Cuts: How to Type like a Man · 10 May 2007

• Only the crazy make it: Jim Crace · 8 March 2007

  • The Pesthouse by Jim Crace

• Short Cuts: Caesar’s Birthday · 22 February 2007

• Short Cuts: Michael Crichton’s Revenge · 4 January 2007

• Flitting About: Alan Furst · 14 December 2006

  • The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst

• Your life depends on it: Jonathan Raban · 19 October 2006

  • Surveillance by Jonathan Raban

• Mr Down-by-the-Levee: Updike’s Terrorist · 7 September 2006

  • Terrorist by John Updike

• Short Cuts: Blurbs and puffs · 20 July 2006

• Diary: My Life as a Geek · 22 June 2006

• Outfoxing Hangman: David Mitchell · 11 May 2006

  • Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

• Short Cuts: An X-Rated Version of Postman Pat · 20 April 2006

• Short Cuts: Ian Blair and the IPCC · 6 April 2006

• Short Cuts: Novelists aren’t popstars · 23 March 2006

• Short Cuts: Cheney’s Cavalier Way with a Shotgun · 9 March 2006

• Short Cuts: shipping containers · 9 February 2006

• Short Cuts: Politicians and the Press · 26 January 2006

• Short Cuts: ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ · 5 January 2006

• Short Cuts: Is it just me? · 1 December 2005

• Our Little Duckie: Margaret Atwood · 17 November 2005

  • The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

• Short Cuts: ‘The Constant Gardener’ · 3 November 2005

• Short Cuts: How to concoct a conspiracy theory · 20 October 2005

• Small by Small: Uzodinma Iweala’s ‘Beasts of No Nation’ · 6 October 2005

  • Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala

• Short Cuts: John Humphrys · 22 September 2005

• Short Cuts: Evolution versus Metamorphosis · 1 September 2005

• Short Cuts: When is a planet not a planet? · 18 August 2005

• Short Cuts: the internet · 4 August 2005

• Short Cuts: ‘Anthrax’! · 7 July 2005

• Short Cuts: What’s your codename? · 23 June 2005

• Short Cuts: dissed · 2 June 2005

• Short Cuts: ‘The Dinner Party’ · 19 May 2005

• Short Cuts: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy · 5 May 2005

• Short Cuts: Basingstoke’s Paisleyite · 21 April 2005

• Short Cuts: Michael Jackson’s frailties · 31 March 2005

• Short Cuts: Blair’s nuptials · 3 March 2005

• Short Cuts: Arthur Conan Doyle and the Mary Celeste · 17 February 2005

• Short Cuts: The smothering of Babylon · 3 February 2005

• Formulaic Thrills: a mathematical murder mystery · 20 January 2005

  • The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martínez, translated by Sonia Soto

• Short Cuts: escaping from Colditz · 6 January 2005

• Short Cuts: angels aren’t what they used to be · 16 December 2004

• Short Cuts: Dick Cheney’s Homepage · 18 November 2004

• Short Cuts: Ukip’s wrinkly glitz · 4 November 2004

• Short Cuts: Bob Dylan’s Tall Tales · 21 October 2004

• Intimate Strangers: A.L. Kennedy’s new novel · 7 October 2004

  • Paradise by A.L. Kennedy

• Short Cuts: Not by Henry James · 23 September 2004

• Short Cuts: Pole-Vaulting · 2 September 2004

• Short Cuts: politicians v. the press · 22 July 2004

• Short Cuts: unimpressed by good booking men · 24 June 2004

• Short Cuts: The life expectancy of a Roman emperor · 3 June 2004

• Short Cuts: aristocrats · 20 May 2004

• Welly-Whanging: Alan Hollinghurst · 6 May 2004

  • The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst

• Short Cuts: Tintin · 15 April 2004

• Short Cuts: Alastair Campbell, Good Bloke · 18 March 2004

• Short Cuts: ‘Scouting for Boys’ · 4 March 2004

• Short Cuts: Godot on a bike · 5 February 2004

• Short Cuts: Princess Di and Laura Palmer · 22 January 2004

• Short Cuts: dictators’ bunkers · 8 January 2004

• Short Cuts: silly mistakes and blood for Bush · 4 December 2003

• Short Cuts: cold fish at the royal household · 20 November 2003

• Forget the Dylai Lama: Bob Dylan · 6 November 2003

  • Dylan's Visions of Sin by Christopher Ricks

• Short Cuts: Crap Towns · 23 October 2003

• Short Cuts: Precious Ramotswe · 9 October 2003

• Short Cuts: Anti-Socialism · 25 September 2003

• Short Cuts: Hatchet Jobs · 11 September 2003

• A Girl’s Best Friend: Tobias Hill · 21 August 2003

  • The Cryptographer by Tobias Hill

• Short Cuts: ‘freedom’ · 24 July 2003

• Short Cuts: mobile phones · 10 July 2003

• Ruining the Daal: Ardashir Vakil · 19 June 2003

  • One Day by Ardashir Vakil

• Short Cuts: ‘Big Brother’ · 5 June 2003

• Short Cuts: The Matrix · 22 May 2003

• Short Cuts: Thomas Pynchon · 8 May 2003

• Man without a Fridge: Haruki Murakami · 17 April 2003

  • After the Quake by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin
  • Earthshaking Science: What We Know (and Don’t Know) about Earthquakes by Susan Elizabeth Hough

• Short Cuts: Boycotting Bristol · 20 March 2003

• Long Haul: at Heathrow · 6 March 2003

• Short Cuts: Dodgy Latin · 20 February 2003

• Short Cuts: War Talk · 6 February 2003

• Short Cuts: Nephews and Daughters · 23 January 2003

• Short Cuts: The ‘Onion’ · 12 December 2002

• In the Classroom: back to school · 28 November 2002

• Short Cuts: The Quiet American · 14 November 2002

• The Whole Sick Crew: Donna Tartt · 31 October 2002

  • The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

• Short Cuts: Aristophanes · 3 October 2002

• Short Cuts: Cyborgs · 19 September 2002

• Short Cuts: Flirtation, Seduction and Betrayal · 5 September 2002

• Short Cuts: Second Novel Anxiety Syndrome · 22 August 2002

• Short Cuts: Sedan Stories · 8 August 2002

• Hong Pong: John Lanchester · 25 July 2002

  • Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester

• Short Cuts: The Ryanverse · 11 July 2002

• Short Cuts: Dream On · 27 June 2002

• Short Cuts: A Quick Bout of Bardiness · 6 June 2002

• Short Cuts: The Size of Wales · 23 May 2002

• Short Cuts: Flashman · 9 May 2002

• Liquid Fiction: Francis Spufford · 25 April 2002

  • The Child that Books Built: A Memoir of Childhood and Reading by Francis Spufford
  • A Child’s Book of True Crime: A Novel by Chloe Hooper

• Short Cuts: military intelligence · 4 April 2002

• Short Cuts: Blair on Blincoe? · 21 March 2002

• Short Cuts: Buffy! · 7 March 2002

• Short Cuts: Say Cheese · 21 February 2002

• Microwaved Turkey: Tim Lott · 7 February 2002

  • Rumours of a Hurricane by Tim Lott

• Murdering the Millefeuilles: Emma Richler · 3 January 2002

  • Sister Crazy by Emma Richler

• Short Cuts: Ulysses vs. Ulysses · 13 December 2001

• Short Cuts: friendsreunited.com · 29 November 2001

• Short Cuts: TV Lit · 15 November 2001

• Short Cuts: Darwinians & Creationists · 1 November 2001

• Short Cuts: Scrabble · 18 October 2001

• On the Make: Jonathan Lethem · 6 September 2001

  • Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem

• Short Cuts: 10,860 novels · 23 August 2001

• Short Cuts: Telly · 9 August 2001

• Short Cuts: the biography of stuff · 5 July 2001

• Short Cuts: Britney’s Biggest Fan · 21 June 2001

• No One Left to Kill: Achilles · 24 May 2001

  • Achilles by Elizabeth Cook

• Short Cuts: Literary Prizes · 10 May 2001

• Short Cuts: Amis Biz · 19 April 2001

• Short Cuts: Who’s the arts minister? · 5 April 2001

• Short Cuts: Fastsellers · 22 March 2001

• Short Cuts: New Writing · 8 March 2001

• Short Cuts: Anna Karenina, New Puritans, Books on Cooking the Books · 22 February 2001

• Full Tilt: Peter Carey · 8 February 2001

  • True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

• Short Cuts: the Spectator · 25 January 2001

• Short Cuts: Bo yakasha. · 4 January 2001

• Short Cuts: bookshops · 14 December 2000

• Short Cuts: Dead Babies · 16 November 2000

• Dark Sayings: Lawrence Norfolk · 2 November 2000

  • In the Shape of a Boar by Lawrence Norfolk

• Short Cuts: What’s in a name? · 19 October 2000

• Short Cuts: National Poetry Day · 5 October 2000

• Short Cuts: statistics and reading · 21 September 2000

• Taking Flight: Blake Morrison · 7 September 2000

  • The Justification of Johann Gutenberg by Blake Morrison

• Short Cuts: dictionaries · 24 August 2000

• Short Cuts · 10 August 2000

• Mockney Rebels: Lindsay Anderson · 20 July 2000

  • Mainly about Linsay Anderson by Gavin Lambert

• Short Cuts · 6 July 2000

• Short Cuts: Adopt a Book · 22 June 2000

• Short Cuts · 1 June 2000

• Short Cuts · 18 May 2000

• Speaking British · 30 March 2000

  • The Third Woman by William Cash
  • Greene on Capri: A Memoir by Shirley Hazzard

• swete lavender: Molesworth · 17 February 2000

  • Molesworth by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle

• On Top of Everything: Byron · 16 September 1999

  • Byron: Child of Passion, Fool of Fame by Benita Eisler

• Thought-Quenching: Q and China Miéville · 7 January 1999

  • Deadmeat by Q.
  • King Rat by China Miéville

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