THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS, by Ocean Vuong We first meet the hero of Ocean Vuong’s second novel, “The Emperor of Gladness,” as we did George Bailey in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”: on the edge of a bridge, contemplating suicide. Rain pelts him rather than snow. Hai is 19 in September of 2009, “in … Read more
by Daniel Kehlmann; translated by Ross Benjamin This biographical novel centered on the Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst doubles as a study of art in the shadow of totalitarianism. After finding fame with silent films like “Pandora’s Box,” Pabst finds himself stuck in Europe as the Nazis come to power and compelled to make movies for … Read more
Situations where you exhibited cruelty? I don’t know if it would be cruelty, but anger, rage, certain desires that would have never exhibited in my brother. There was a moment when I was 15 — I’ve been trying to articulate this for so long, and your question is putting me down the slippery slope. I’ve … Read more
