Book Bytes: ‘Shocking’ book on Putin, Rachel Cusk’s autofiction and more

This week in literature, two exiled Russian journalists have won a prestigious French prize for their exposé of Vladimir Putin. The book, titled "The Tsar in Propria Persona: How Vladimir Putin Deceived Us All," challenges the president's image as a defender of traditional values. The prize was awarded by EBRA, France's largest regional newspaper group, who described the work as "fascinating and shocking."

Also, a new English translation of "7 from 1947: first-hand stories" by Saliha Abid Husain is now available. The book, originally published in Urdu in 1948, collects six visceral accounts recorded by Husain during the communal fires that swept across Delhi.

In a new book, Nobel-winning economist Daron Acemoglu offers a diagnosis of the crisis of liberal democracy, and presents a way out. The book, "What Happened to Liberal Democracy?" argues that elitism, intolerance, and rising autocracy have eroded liberalism's promise of shared prosperity and equality. However, Acemoglu remains hopeful that democracies can be saved through moral and political choices.

The literary world is also buzzing about Rachel Cusk's novel, "Life of M." The book, a form of autofiction, has sparked debate over the ethics of blurring the lines between autobiography and fiction. The controversy centers on the character 'M' who bears a resemblance to actress Natalie Portman, raising questions about the potential for exploitation.