books
February 13, 2026
The Fine Balance Required of an ‘Authorial Rant’
A cherished grudge might make it into a novel—but the best writers avoid creating books that feel one-sided.
TL;DR
- Novelists can be opinionated, and their strong beliefs sometimes appear in their writing.
- Lionel Shriver, known for her novels and outspoken opinions, has faced criticism for her recent book on immigration policies, which is described as reading like an op-ed.
- The article contrasts Shriver's work with other authors like Jonathan Franzen and George Saunders, examining how their personal views are integrated into their novels.
- It suggests that while politics can inform fiction, the best authors manage to separate their political selves from their writing, creating complex characters and plots that encourage empathy.
- A separate review describes Laurent Binet's novel *Perspective(s)*, a murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence, highlighting its epistolary structure and engaging plot.
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