The Observer The New Review – 9 August 2026

Summary

Rachel Cusk's controversial new novel gets inside the life of an A-list friend — Megan Nolan asks where the truth lies in The Observer New Review (9 August 2026) cover story, as the line between fiction and real-life betrayal blurs. Maria Andreyevna, the woman leading protests against Russian civilian mobilisation, speaks to Asne Seierstad, and David Thomson argues the movies created Trump.

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The 9 August New Review leads with the Cusk debate — her novel allegedly draws on a friendship with Natalie Portman, raising questions about how much authors owe their subjects. Asne Seierstad interviews a Russian woman leading anti-mobilisation protests. John Naughton warns that AI companies buying books published before 2022 raises red flags. David Thomson traces how Hollywood narrative techniques shaped Trump's political persona. The Agenda section includes an IMAX projection booth visit and Laura Cumming's perfect beach read search.

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Critics cover the Game of Thrones play, Tove Jansson's The Summer Book on screen, and Iranian architecture. Books include a Cicero biography and a new murder mystery by Susie Dent. Puzzles and television listings complete the issue. A strong, ideas-driven New Review with genuine depth.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.8 · The film star and the novelist: Rachel Cusk's controversial new book
Megan Nolan asks whether Cusk's novel crosses a line by fictionalising an A-list friend (allegedly Natalie Portman). The article weighs the author's right to write against the subject's right to privacy.

▸ Features

p.11 · Maria Andreyevna: leading Russian anti-mobilisation protests
Asne Seierstad interviews the woman at the centre of protests against Russian civilian mobilisation. She describes the risks and the reasons she continues.

p. — · John Naughton: AI companies buying pre-2022 books
Warning about AI firms acquiring back-catalogue books for training data. The implications for publishing and copyright.

p. — · David Thomson: how the movies created Trump
Thomson argues that Hollywood's narrative techniques — the hero's journey, the villain edit — paved the way for Trump's political persona.

▸ Agenda

p. — · In real life: inside an IMAX projection booth
Xavier Greenwood visits the booth of a London IMAX cinema.

p. — · Laura Cumming searches for the perfect beach read
The critic on finding a book that matches a seaside setting.

▸ Critics

p. — · Barbara Ellen: behind the scenes of the Game of Thrones play
p. — · Wendy Ide: Tove Jansson's The Summer Book on screen
p.20 · Rowan Moore: Iranian architecture

▸ Books

p.24 · Cicero biography reviewed by Edith Hall
p. — · Susie Dent: Death Write Large murder mystery

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Editor's Take

The Cusk cover story asks a genuinely interesting literary-ethical question. Asne Seierstad's Russian protest interview is important journalism. David Thomson's Trump-Hollywood thesis is provocative. Weaknesses: the Agenda section is thin. The Cusk question is ultimately unanswerable within a single feature. But the issue has more intellectual heft than most New Review issues this month.

Strengths
• Cusk fiction-vs-reality debate is genuinely provocative
• Seierstad's Russian protest interview is timely reporting
• Thomson's Trump-Hollywood thesis is arguable but interesting

Weaknesses
• Agenda section items are too brief
• Cusk question is raised but not resolved
• Some features feel truncated

Verdict: Recommended — three strong ideas pieces in one issue.