Harper's Magazine

Every issue of Harper's contains excellent essays, fiction, political discussion, and of course the Harper's staples, such as the Index. Many of the stories and essays win major literary prizes such as the O'Henry award, and get included in high-profile anthologies such as the *Best American* series. Certainly, for a writer, if you are chosen to appear in Harper's, you are at the pinnacle of your craft.

Although the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and many other smaller literary magazines consistantly offer excellent content and visually pleasing formats, Harper's seems to lead the pack -- maybe because of it's no-nonsense approach, limited advertising, regionally non-specific content, and diversity of topics. The fact that Harper's is aided by a non-profit organization must contribute to its quality; certainly any independence from advertisers can only improve the open-endedness and creativity that Harper's excels in.


Quality has gone down dramatically   May 25, 2004
Sung Chun Kim (San Francisco, CA United States)
38 out of 51 found this review helpful

I used to be a subscriber and an avid reader. Recently, perhaps in the last two years or so, the quality of the writing has become rather poor. The selection of articles is uninteresting, and sometimes half the articles themselves are so poorly written as to be unreadable. The fiction is simply mediocre, and the entire magazine seems to be infected with editor Lewis Lapham's shrill and ever-growing Notebook (does the man ever have anything interesting or original to say?). In short, Harper's is not the magazine it once was. I would suggest the Atlantic Monthly if you want a magazine that is interesting, informative, and well-written, cover to cover.


Best Magazine I've Ever Subscribed To   January 28, 2004
Jerry L. Faust (Vancouver, BC Canada)
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

I ordered Harper's from Amazon nearly a year ago and I have come to treasure each issue for its unique blend of essays, art, and literary criticism. My subscription has become a de facto extension of my liberal arts education, as the magazine's pages are graced with politics, history, literature, and the arts.

Each issue features an essay from editor Lewis Lapham, an essayist of the same caliber as Gore Vidal. Lapham's style and vocubalary are extraordinary, and his writing is often laced with biting satire.

The magazine is illustrated with contemporary art from galleries across the United States, and includes informative features like the "Harper's Index" and the "Readings" section (garnered from documents in the public domain). Each issue usually includes two serious book reviews, sometimes stretching across several pages of small, dense type.

A subscription to this indispensible magazine will enlighten and entertain, equipping the reader to understand the contemporary world.


Probably the best available. Powerfully recommended.   October 12, 2003
Timothy P. Scanlon (Hyattsville, MDUSA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful

I've been subscribing to Harper's for years. In fact, I started after reading editor Lewis Lapham's "Money and Class in America: Notes and Observations on our Civil Religion" and at least one other book, a collection of his essays.

First, Lapham's "column" at the beginning of each issue I cannot recommend enough. In the case of the recent Iraq war, for example, Mr. Lapham had the guts to stand up against it. And he did so in an eloquent and erudite way, less volatile than any stand I was able to publicly make.

The rest of the content is the best I've ever read in an American periodical. For those who refer to Harper's as "leftist," I'm forced to disagree. There have been articles that are not remotely "leftist," with some of which I happen to agree. But most would consider most of the material "liberal."

(While I'm not much of a short story reader, those who read them in this magazine say they're the best.)

Thanks so much, Mr. Lapham, for your erudite commentaries on Iraq, on George W., on 9/11, and on countless other subjects. I look forward to each issue.


Where is it??   February 23, 2006
rad
17 out of 34 found this review helpful

So I ordered the magazine in Nov. 6, 2005. Its now Feb. 22nd, 2006 and the magazines (since I also ordered the Smithsonian and Scientific American) are nowhere to be seen. Of course, my account was quickly charged and at this pace, I'm guessing the whole genomic structure of all living organisms in this planet will be decoded before I receive any of them... so if you actually want to read this excellent magazine, it might be a better idea to get somewhere else...