Book of the dayFictionReviewThe Nazis control Paris in 1950 and the art world’s surrealist visions have come to life in this dreamlike vision of an alternative history
Imagine if surrealist artworks were coming to monstrous life and roaming the streets of occupied Paris during an alternative-history 1950 in which the second world war was still going and the Nazis were desperately trying to raise demons from hell. Actually you don’t need to, because China Miéville has. Read More...
The Cuban Missile Crisis, from Moto: The Cookbook. Photograph: Amy StallardHow a homeless child grew up to become the most inventive chef in history
by Kieran MorrisBetween 2004 and 2016, the most inventive food on the planet, possibly in history, came out of a small restaurant in downtown Chicago. At Moto, your first course was your menu itself, which was typically printed in edible ink on a giant tortilla chip. When you finished your menu, you would be handed what looked like a Polaroid of a maki roll. Read More...
The ObserverBiography booksReviewRussell Brand's gleeful tale of drugs and debauchery in My Booky Wook puts most other celebrity memoirs to shame, writes Andrew AnthonyMy Booky Wook
Russell Brand
Hodder & Stoughton £18.99, pp339
Russell Brand, the comedian-cum-tabloid personality, is a peculiar phenomenon. A cult performer who is a celebrity, he is less known for his work than his lifestyle. Yet his work is his lifestyle. Or as he puts it: 'My life is just a series of embarrassing incidents strung together by telling people about those embarrassing incidents. Read More...
