Despite a few snarky lines, this review in the New York Times Sunday Book Review is smart and thoughtful. I don’t agree with all the points made by reviewer Rachel Donadio, but one never does, and I don’t want to quibble.

A few people have mentioned that the piece is sort of an odd hybrid of book review and essay. That’s something new to the Times Book Review under new editor Sam Tanenhaus, and I have to say that I like it. The NYTSBR used to be dry as dust; Tanenhaus is livening it up immensely.