Books

Seamus Heaney's translation of Sophocles' Antigone paints a picture without greyness. Yet, beauty prevails. Review by Garry Wills

Review: THE LIGHTHOUSE By PD James, Alfred A. Knopf, €9.99

Amy Tan's latest novel is set among a high powered group of Amreicans who are kidnapped by tribesmen on an Asian road trip. Review by Andrew Solomon

Censorship is an amusing liberal conundrum. Do you ban books that are obviously offensive or support their availability under a blanket support for freedom of speech? When you allow the sale of Mein Kampf, are you entitled to be worried if it goes to the top of the book charts as it did in Turkey this year? When David Irving comes to speak in Trinity should he be allowed to perform as you hope he will self-immolate?

A great adulterous womaniser, with a passion for blondes, Elia Kazan's biography is a tour de force through Broadway and Hollywood at its most sparkling time. Review by John Simon

A new book, Vintage Nell: The McCafferty Reader brings together the best of this trenchant journalist's 35-year oeuvre, tackling issues as diverse as contraception, abortion, divorce, gay rights and the war with Britain. Here, we have two extracts: about the joy of sex, Catholic-style; and the experience of coming home for Christmas as a gay person

A Horse Called El Dorado is another brilliant contribution to the list of excellent new books for young readers

With 40 years of novels, essays and journalism to her name, most of the critical reaction to Joan Didion's receipt of the National Book Award could have been summed up in four words: What took so long? The Year of Magical Thinking tells of the worst year in her life, which kicked off with the death of husband John Gregory Dunne from a heart attack while their daughter was dying in hospital with septic shock.

Michael Quinion's Posh? Port Out, Starboard Home.  Online hustings.  Reaping What One Sows. The IMPAC List

Anita Shreve - Stephen King - Nicholas Montemarano