BooksObituaryJohn McGahernIreland's leading novelist, whose work reflected his country's new self-confidenceJohn McGahern, who has died from cancer, aged 71, was arguably the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett. Although he had many rivals in the field of short story writing (most notably William Trevor), his novels The Barracks (1963), The Dark (1965), The Leavetaking (1974), The Pornographer (1979), Amongst Women (1990), shortlisted for the Booker prize, and That They May Face the Rising Sun (2002) constitute a portrait of a society moving from insular repression (in the earlier writing) towards freedom and self-confidence (in the latter). Read More...
The ObserverHealthLemon Bottle jab goes viral with claims to dissolve fat – but doctors question safetyTikTok posts for product watched 81.5m times, but experts say evidence of long-term safety and effectiveness is lacking
Two rashers of raw bacon, a box of syringes and a vial of yellow liquid have been neatly arranged on a kitchen table. “Let’s dissolve some bacon fat together,” says a woman wearing rubber gloves. She lifts a syringe and injects one of the rashers with the yellow solution. Read More...
Ask Annalisa BarbieriLife and styleHe has been entirely selfish and you deserve better, says Annalisa Barbieri. It is time to move on
I live with a man I don’t love. But I once loved a man I met at university. We had a few nice holidays together and cosy meals out. He always paid for everything, which made me feel special. I imagined that I was his soulmate, but he wasn’t one to express his feelings, and my countless cards declaring mine were seldom reciprocated. Read More...