Culture
Books
The best books of 2024, as chosen by The Economist
Readers will never think the same way again about games, horses and spies
Sex and Snow White: how Grimm should children’s books be?
The German authors suggest very, but today trends run the opposite way
Jimmy Lai’s trial is a headline-worthy example of injustice
A new biography aims to keep the public’s attention on the pro-democracy tycoon
Are mystics kooks or valuable disrupters?
A realist’s refreshing take on mysticism
Why do rebels and revolutionaries love “Paradise Lost”?
John Milton’s epic poem has galvanised rabble-rousers for centuries
What Haruki Murakami’s fans get wrong about him
He is not so much a surrealist as a dogged observer of solitude
The unholy alliance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin
Patriarch Kirill is one of the most vocal defenders of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine
Was Henry Kissinger an AI “doomer”?
A posthumous postscript on a hair-raising topic
Television and film
The best films of 2024, as chosen by The Economist
They feature nuns and cardinals, robots and strippers
The Economist’s selection of the best TV of 2024
The small screen claims some riveting shows this year, both new and returning
The Colombian powerhouse behind some of streaming’s biggest hits
If you enjoyed “Narcos” or “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, you have Dynamo to thank
“Babygirl” and the trouble with equality
In Nicole Kidman’s new film, a female CEO has an affair with an intern. Boo or bravo?
Does great literature translate into great television?
Netflix hopes so, with its adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
Death, deception and (a little) sex: “Conclave” offers a great trinity
Ralph Fiennes investigates the sins of popes in this magnificent film
The arts
Fashion photography is in vogue
Museums and collectors now want what were once panned as commercial images for their walls
Paul Gauguin is an artist ripe for cancellation
Yet, as with others, controversy and talent were part of the same palette
John Sainsbury, a donor to the National Gallery, had the last laugh
A hidden letter offers an insight into disputes between artists and patrons
Can Saudi Arabia become a premier tourist hotspot?
It has sun, sea and (lots of) sand. But people are wary of visiting the kingdom
Meet the man causing cracks in the antiquities trade
Matthew Bogdanos employs unorthodox tactics to repatriate stolen art and antiquities
Food
What do feta, cucumbers and cottage cheese have in common?
Social media and the internet are changing how people cook and relate to food
Food lovers the world over are tickled by pickles
On social media, preserved cucumbers are freshly trendy
How the martini became the world’s most iconic cocktail
It has a glamorous history and can be endlessly personalised
In praise of mangoes
South Asia’s mangoes deserve a wider audience
Tinned fish is swimming against the tide
Once a staple of wartime diets, it is now a social-media phenomenon
Music
The Economist’s pick of the best albums of 2024
A musical tour through pop, rap, rock and more
The best music written about winter
Six compositions that capture the pleasures and perils of the coldest season
The New York-London arbitrage for musicals
Can you guess which is more expensive: Broadway or the West End?
Arnold Schoenberg was one of classical music’s most important rebels
But, 150 years after his birth, he is underappreciated
How Kronos became the world’s most innovative string quartet
The group’s 50th anniversary brings new music and new members
Pop stars are all about albums
Contradictory though it may seem in the streaming era
Latest coverage
Culture
Want to spend time with a different American president?
Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news
Culture
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Culture
Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves
The left gave him his perch
Culture
Astrology is booming, thanks to technology and younger enthusiasts
Gen Z is full of stargazing users
Culture
Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment
Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it
Culture
Ovation inflation has spread from Broadway to London’s West End
Why do dud plays get standing ovations?
Culture
Sex and Snow White: how Grimm should children’s books be?
The German authors suggest very, but today trends run the opposite way
Culture
Jimmy Lai’s trial is a headline-worthy example of injustice
A new biography aims to keep the public’s attention on the pro-democracy tycoon
Culture
Millennials and Gen Z are falling hard for stuffed animals
Plushies are cute, cuddly and costly
Culture
Ten years after the Charlie Hebdo attack, satire is under siege
Public support is waning for the right to offend
Culture
Why do rebels and revolutionaries love “Paradise Lost”?
John Milton’s epic poem has galvanised rabble-rousers for centuries
Culture
The Colombian powerhouse behind some of streaming’s biggest hits
If you enjoyed “Narcos” or “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, you have Dynamo to thank
Culture
What Haruki Murakami’s fans get wrong about him
He is not so much a surrealist as a dogged observer of solitude
Culture
The British take their crisps more seriously than any other nation
No other snack bridges the class divide in the same way