Culture

Why does everyone like East of Eden so much?

A beautiful book, written in a determinedly readable style, is bound to become popular, not to mention the endless power of nostalgia.

The return of the surreal 

Mythical, dreamlike, phantasmagorical, and absurd: Surrealism, which took the art world by storm in...

Must theatre be so dire? Thoughts on the “unworthy scaffold”

If 'art est celare artem' (true art is to conceal art), then theatre is pretty poor art. You ain't fooling me into thinking that's a storm.

Seasonal reads: On childhood hobbies, growing up, and guilt

Reconnecting with reading is something many people tend to do on a summer holiday,...

Fool’s Gold

Our reviewer regrets dressing up for this interactive review

Guilty Pleasures

Films or genres we know we shouldn't like, but do. This week, Strictly Ballroom

Review: Brothers

Solid, but in the end unremarkable

Pick of the Week

Our pick of the latest releases. This week: Heartland by Owen Pallet

Review ‘End Times’ by Eels

A divorce made in heaven.

Review: ‘The Betrayed’ by Lost Prophets

Not quite dark or atmospheric enough

The Great Coll(abhor)ations

Our music editor examines the good, the bad and the unexpected

Top 10: Drama Freshers

Cherwell picks out ten leading lights among this year's drama freshers

Book Sucker Stage Magic

The novel's fans will love this adaptation of The Magic Toyshop, and so will you, says Tim Newey

Fifty years of Hurt

Nick Pierce interviews screen legend, John Hurt.

Review: Up in the Air

George Clooney et al achieve lift-off

Week 1: Welcome to our new Photo Blog!

Flick through this week's selection of the best photography from around and about Oxford.

Fyfe Dangerfield – Fly Yellow Moon

The Guillemots' frontman goes solo

Delphic – Acolyte

An impressive genre-fusing debut from the Mancunians

Vampire Weekend – Contra

More of the same from the Brooklyn four-piece

Death of an art form?

James Maloney tells us why album art is not a thing of the past

Out of the frying pan

James Maloney chats to Hot Chip's Joe Goddard about the band's new album, their school days... and fire

What you’ve been missing

A new column introducing you to little-known or underrated art-forms. This week: contemporary Arabic poetry

Earth: Art of a changing world

A major collaboration at the Royal Academy taking a conceptual look at the climate change issue.

Squaring the vicious circle

Our Books Editor reviews Eugene Rogan's impressive 'Arabs a History'

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