The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami review – a lack of magic and meaning
Murakami’s 15th novel retreads a form of magical realism that hasn’t evolved
Morning and Evening by Jon Fosse review – the Nobel laureate’s mystical account of where we begin and end
In this republished novella from 2000 about a fisherman and his son, the Norwegian writer captures the puzzlement and wonder of the human condition
In brief: Who Owns Football?; The Caretaker; The Land in Winter
A deep dive into football’s puppet masters; an evocative slice of Americana; and another tour de force from Pure author Andrew Miller
Booker prize 2024: and the winner is… you, the reader
The judges have a hard task at this week’s Booker prize ceremony with five of the six shortlisted books worthy winners, though Percival Everett’s James – a retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn – is the title to put your money on
‘It will renew your faith in humanity’: books to bring comfort in dark times
The best literary comfort reads rebuild our strength so we can face reality, argues novelist Francesca Segal. She picks her ultimate reading list – with help from Nick Hornby, Sathnam Sanghera and Naomi Alderman
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – reviews roundup
Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang; Jackal by Erin E Adams; The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis; Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton; The Incubations by Ramsey Campbell
Long Island by Colm Tóibín review – Jessie Buckley shines voicing the sequel to Brooklyn
The Irish actor’s nuanced narration captures the conflicting emotions in Tóibín’s tale of infidelity, homecoming and the roads not taken
Roddy Doyle: ‘A PG Wodehouse audiobook made me laugh so much I had to stop the car’
The Booker-winning author on the the joys of Flann O’Brien, the magic of EL Doctorow, and having doubts about Richard Dawkins
The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe review – ingenious cosy crime spoof
This tricksy caper ranges from 1980s Cambridge to the rise and fall of Liz Truss with entertaining results
The Party by Tessa Hadley review – a daringly old-fashioned novella
The domestic details of postwar life are closely observed in this tale of two sisters over one weekend in Bristol
Rachel Cusk wins Goldsmiths prize for novel ‘that turns the world inside out’
Parade, which focuses on three artists, all named G, takes this year’s honour for mould-breaking fiction
Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai review – sinister cosmic visions
A physics student calls on Angela Merkel to help him save the world in this one-sentence onslaught from a ‘master of the apocalypse’
She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark review – dark delights
A bona-fide queen of body horror delves into fears and illicit desires in this engrossing short-story debut
The Party by Tessa Hadley review – sex and the postwar city
The author’s novella about two young women whose yearning for freedom comes at a price sometimes feels unconvincing and underpowered
Killing Time by Alan Bennett review – senior moments full of wit and style
The author employs his pitch-perfect repertoire of satirical skills in his first book for five years – a novella about the residents of an upmarket care home during the pandemic