Slow reviews

Why this story?

“Slow Reviews” rhymes with “slow news”. That’s the thought that occurred to me one tired, locked-down day a couple of months ago. And then, unbidden, another thought: I must do something with that!

But what? The clue is partially in the name: Slow Reviews have taken their time to get here, so they must be reviews of older books, movies and albums. They are not rooted in the ferocious stream of new must-watch shows and new must-hate singles. They are about things that have, in some way or other, lasted.

But what else? Just reviewing old things isn’t enough; it’s too nebulous, too unbounded. So we decided to devote our Slow Reviews to the pop cultural artefacts that really brought about change. The records that changed the music industry. The books that changed our perspectives on free speech. The movies, shows, games, plays and paintings that didn’t just last – they conquered. Enjoy. Peter Hoskin, editor