I’ve never purchased as subscription to The Paris Review, for the following reasons:
-I’m broke as hell
-They have most of their back interviews and lots of other good stuff available on their website
-There are a few other literary journals out there that are a bit more interesting and pertinent to my particular interests and proclivities
All this means is that in spite of having read tens -if not hundreds- of thousands of words online that had originally been printed in The Paris Review, I had never actually held a copy of The Paris Review in my hands. I found an older edition (Winter 2004) at Bookhounds for 1.49 and went for it.
The verdict? It’s good. Turns out one of the most prestigious and eminent publishers of literary fiction does pretty well for itself. The issue cast a very wide net thematically, featuring short fiction, interviews, nonfiction, reporting, photography, visual art, and poetry. All but a few pieces were great, and the only things that felt dated were the ads in the back after the contributor information. I’m still not sold on a subscription, although I’m far more likely to consider it… maybe when I’m a bit less broke. Did I mention I’m a Powell’s Partner? Buy a book through the link below and my blog gets 5% of your purchase and you don’t pay a cent more.
