Books

Simon Willis finds his way through a Norwegian novel of enthralling candour

Robert Macfarlane on the parody of Everest that got him hooked on mountaineering

Searing novels by Claire Messud and Louise Erdrich and sparkling histories of ballooning and servants

If you're not yet one of his 1.85m followers

The author of fantasy falls under the spell of a strange, intricate, unfinished painting

Whatever happened to French children’s books? Malika Browne looks into a puzzling decline – but finds some hope

Hassan Blasim’s new collection of stories, “The Iraqi Christ” mixes lyricism and mordancy

Winner of the Man Booker International Prize 2013: Lydia Davis is a writer’s writer with some distinguished fans. In 2009, she spoke to Emily Bobrow about language, precision and Proust

The one thing more terrifying than dying in a global catastrophe is surviving it

Heart-rending tales of parental love and family history, and lessons in happiness from Guantánamo