In 'The Second Sleep,' The World May End, But Life Goes On
Robert Harris' genre-bending new book at first appears to take place in a medieval setting — and then you realize the young priest at its center is holding a cracked, defunct, centuries-old iPhone.
Robert Harris' novels have often looked at the complex workings of powerful people and institutions, with (1992) and (2007) being perhaps the most prominent examples. He has also been drawn to such people and institutions: In 2018, when asked about his continued collaboration with Roman Polanski, that he needn't change his opinion just because "the fashion has changed" — referring to the #MeToo movement — adding that "[Polanski] won the Oscar, he got a standing ovation in Los Angeles," as if
