Wellness by Nathan Hill review – the tragicomic maladies of marriage
A penchant for super-abundance in this follow-up to The Nix helps to capture the contours of modern American life
Hard By a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili review – a quest in the wake of Soviet collapse
In this compelling debut, a young man returns to his home country, Georgia, on the trail of his missing father and brother
Politica by Yumna Kassab review – the human cost of war
Set amid an unnamed conflict in the Middle East, Kassab’s third novel is told in fragments – a resonant choice when telling the stories of families splintered and lives cut short
Ockham’s Razor: Tess review – circus spin finds light and laughter in Thomas Hardy’s tale
This company’s skills cleverly animate the characters in a dreamlike production that does not blunt the novel’s tragedy
How We Break by Vincent Deary review – look after yourself
A psychologist offers practical advice for dealing with life’s ups and downs
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray review – witty tale of obsessive love
A young millennial begins an affair with her fortysomething boss, in a debut that’s nicely ironic while avoiding nihilism
Adventures in Democracy by Erica Benner review – many men, many minds
A sparkling account of people power through the ages, and how to save it from itself
What Will Survive of Us by Howard Jacobson review – end of the affair
This tale of later-life lovers explores what happens to desire as the body’s powers wane with age
American Fiction review – entertaining comedy collision of race, class and envy
This enjoyable meta-level adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure tackles black-victimhood stereotypes, showcasing Jeffrey Wright and Issa Rae as rival writers
My Heavenly Favourite by Lucas Rijneveld review – a transgressive tour de force
In this dazzling follow-up to the International Booker-winning The Discomfort of Evening, an abuser addresses his teenage victim
Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Fiend review – the spoof’s afoot!
The detective goes on the hunt for Jack the Ripper in this funny but tangled comedy on how crime is sensationalised for entertainment
The Tiger’s Apprentice review – comfort-food fantasy animation is all about Team Cat
Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Sandra Oh are among the all-star voices in this likable but generic story of a San Francisco teen and a posse of animal shapeshifters
The Lodgers by Holly Pester review – the suboptimal life of a subletter
A disorienting tale of flatmates and precarious housing arrangements comes with a hard political truth in this stylish debut novel
Fourteen Days: A Collaborative Novel review – a starry patchwork inspired by the dark days of Covid
Editors Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston round up 36 big literary names for a spirited Decameron-style collection of shaggy dog stories and tales of lost love
Orion and the Dark review – Charlie Kaufman surprises with Netflix kids’ animation
The Eternal Sunshine and Being John Malkovich screenwriter has adapted a picture book for his debut family film about being afraid of the dark