BOOK REVIEW / Recommended

Edgar A Poe by Kenneth Silverman, Weidenfeld pounds 25. An exemplary study of the morbid genius of American literature. Review by Scott Bradfield, 9 May.

The Fugitive by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Penguin, pounds 6.99. Remarkable allegory about modern Indonesian history by a banned writer. Review by Ziauddin Sardar 30 May.

Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser, Harvill, pounds 16. Strong and sprightly memoirs of wartime Burma. Review by Michael Fathers, 30 June.

Outerbridge Reach by Robert Stone, Deutsch, pounds 14.99. A grand, adventurous novel about a man lost at sea. Interview by Scott Bradfield, 23 May.