# Is there such a thing as a 'decent' magazine?



## MissRibena (19 Jun 2009)

I know the question is subjective but for years I've been trying to find a magazine or journal that hits the right spot.  I thought I'd try AAM seeing as so many people find the answers to lots of unlikely questions here and of course you are all such a well-read, cultured and informed lot .  Magazines are expensive but I would be prepared to pay for one if it fit the bill.

Basically, I'd like a magazine that contains some of the following:

Good reviews for current books (fiction & non-fiction), film, music and TV.  All the better if it also includes discussion or recommendations from the 'classics' that might spur me onto pick up something I would otherwise miss.
Articles covering topics on current political/international affairs, economics, history, art (not just YBAs), philosophy technology and a general alround humanist (in the rennaisance sense) approach.  Clearly they would not need to be covered in every single issue but 
Interviews on the odd occasion with people who have something interesting to say, like, say Martin Sheen.
The odd cartoon is acceptable but only if it is good.
The icing on the cake would be a slight feminist tinge (I realise this is unlikely as it is usually full duck or no dinner when you go down that road).


I do NOT want in my magazine:
Any clothes, make-up, hair etc. 'style' suggestions
Tips on dieting, cooking 
Celebrity updates or soapwatch
A completely dry take on things or a publication restricted to a particlar area like Newsweek or the Economist


Basically I think I'm after very good edition of one of the better Sunday supplements but bigger and better than the ones I know (maybe I'm missing one?).  I've tried the Economists 'Intelligent Life' magazine and this is the closest I've come but I still found it a bit flat.

So any suggestions or is there such a thing at all?


----------



## LouisLaLoope (19 Jun 2009)

I went through a Vanity Fair phase once.  I think it's pretty decent.  

http://www.vanityfair.com/


----------



## Caveat (19 Jun 2009)

_Cosmopolitan _may have once ticked those boxes - not so sure now.

(Is it even still going?) 

_The Sunday Times_ + all supplements should cover most of your requirements MissRibena with the possible exception of the feminist angle.  Although it's probably more unwieldy than you would have liked.


----------



## mathepac (19 Jun 2009)

Caveat said:


> ..._ The Sunday Times_ + all supplements should cover most of your requirements MissRibena with the possible exception of the feminist angle.  Although it's probably more unwieldy than you would have liked.


+1, but maybe skip the Style section apart from the AA Gill and Mrs Mills columns.


----------



## PMU (19 Jun 2009)

MissRibena said:


> Basically, I'd like a magazine that contains some of the following:
> 
> Good reviews for current books (fiction & non-fiction), film, music and TV.  All the better if it also includes discussion or recommendations from the 'classics' that might spur me onto pick up something I would otherwise miss.
> Articles covering topics on current political/international affairs, economics, history, art (not just YBAs), philosophy technology and a general alround humanist (in the rennaisance sense) approach.  Clearly they would not need to be covered in every single issue but
> ...





MissRibena said:


> I thought I'd try AAM seeing as so many people find the answers to lots of unlikely questions here and of course you are all such a well-read, cultured and informed lot



 Speaking as one of the well-read, cultured and informed lot, you can get all of this in the weekend editions of the major UK newspapers.

  The only magazines to which it is worth subscribing IMHO are Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com/ ; GEO http://www.*****ashop.fr/boutique/pms/marque_Accueil.jsp?idRayon=8549& ;and Investors Chronicle http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/ .  Monocle and Forbes are interesting but really airport reading.  You could throw in Foreign Affairs and the Economist if you are a leftist.





MissRibena said:


> Interviews on the odd occasion with people who have something interesting to say, like, say Martin Sheen.


Maybe I've led a secluded life for the past 30 years, but when did Martin Sheen ever have anyting intresting to say?


----------



## Mpsox (19 Jun 2009)

There are some very good American magazines to which you can subscribe to over here quite cheaply.

The Atlantic is excellent for Politics, international affairs and more humanist areas from a liberal (and obviously American) perspective
New York Review of books for literary issues
The Smithsonian Magazine which tends to have a more varied approach then National Geographic

You should be able to subscribe to any of these via their websites and the costs are quite cheap, The Atlantic cost me something like $35 to renew this year


----------



## mathepac (19 Jun 2009)

PMU said:


> ... but when did Martin Sheen ever have anyting intresting to say?


When he's down around Ardcroney, Kilbarron, Borrisokane, visiting the Phelans and when involved in anti-war and other social activist  initiatives.


----------



## Caveat (19 Jun 2009)

mathepac said:


> but maybe skip the Style section apart from the AA Gill and Mrs Mills columns.


 
Yes agreed - generally.  Although I have to admit to finding _some_ fashion Qs/price comparisons of mild interest myself


----------



## MissRibena (19 Jun 2009)

Thanks everyone.

I do get the Sunday Times (sometimes and the Guardian on a Saturday and the Irish Sunday ones) and they are all ok in their own way but don't have enough to keep me going for more than an afternoon in one volume.  Once upon a time the Telegraph Magazine (Saturday) used to be brilliant but the content has really gone down hill in the last five years.

Cosmopolitan has too much fashion, sex-life/relationship stuff for my liking, although I know it's not all that.  Marie-Claire falls into that category too.  I was lumping Vanity Fair in with this lot but I'm definitely going to give it a go after a look at the website.  

I gave Martin Sheen as an off-the-top-of-my-head example of a 'celebrity' that is bit less fluffy than usual.


----------



## Mel (19 Jun 2009)

It seems most magazines are very specific to one topic - here's a link to the type you're talking about:


----------



## MissRibena (19 Jun 2009)

Thanks Mel - that's the problem alright.

I noticed your link has 'The Oldie' on it which wasn't bad either but slightly odd and not very 'newsy'.


----------



## dereko1969 (19 Jun 2009)

i get vanity fair and recently it's had some excellent articles on the financial crisis, madoff ponzi scheme etc whilst also having some good entertainment articles too, well worth getting.


----------



## Smashbox (19 Jun 2009)

I wouldnt go for Cosmo if you're looking for quality, etc. Plus its full of fashion. 

I like Vanity Fair, they have some great interviews.


----------



## MissRibena (19 Jun 2009)

Sold on Vanity Fair - I'm off to get a copy for the weekend.  Have to say that despite all the lofty notions above, an interview with Johnny Depp is very appealing .  Hopefully it will live up to expectations and if it does according to their website it's only $43 p.a. to get it delivered to my door!  Great tip about the online subscription Mpsox - thanks.

It has a good glossy cover too so should hold up to reading in the bath - heaven.  The e-readers have a way to go on that front yet ...


----------



## Morgause (19 Jun 2009)

I really like National Geographic but perhaps it could be found to be not wide-ranging enough.  Still it's a good read once a month and good value too (you can order it online and have it delivered).


----------



## becky (19 Jun 2009)

I agree on Vanity Fair and harpers bazzar – both of which I read in the hair dressers.  

I was a fan of In style as it was just hair clothes make up and for a while it was the only one I paid for.  Now I just steal them off my sister.  

Cosmo is awful I often wonder who reads its and if they do why.


----------



## Caveat (19 Jun 2009)

Smashbox said:


> I wouldnt go for Cosmo if you're looking for quality, etc. Plus its full of fashion.


 


becky said:


> Cosmo is awful I often wonder who reads its and if they do why.


 
Yeah, thought as much - certainly wasn't always like this.

Think it has had to ...er... 'adapt' to the _OK_ & _Hello_ era.


----------



## Vanilla (19 Jun 2009)

Cosmo is truly horrendous. 

For a light read I like Red. But I don't think you will find everything you are looking for in just one publication. Sadly you'll need to buy a cross section of mags/papers. 

I used to read New Scientist, The Economist, various Law publications, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Independent ( this is some years ago), Marie Claire and anything else that took my fancy on the news stand.

Now I have children and I read the Sunday Times and Red and on-line newspapers plus professional journals and have no time for anything else so it reminds me how much luxury time really is. Enjoy!


----------



## circle (19 Jun 2009)

Mpsox said:


> The Atlantic is excellent for Politics, international affairs and more humanist areas from a liberal (and obviously American) perspective
> New York Review of books for literary issues


 
Second the recommendation of The Atlantic, prescient coverage of emerging political issues, great writers and highly readable, I never end up skipping an article which is high praise.

Harper's (http://www.harpers.org/ (Note: not 'Harper's Bazaar' which would be more of the usual fashion/celebrity) is also good, lighter in tone than The Atlantic but arguably with more US-focused topics.

Both of these have fairly liberal American outlooks and would include coverage of feminist topics & writers.


----------



## tyoung (19 Jun 2009)

circle said:


> Second the recommendation of The Atlantic, prescient coverage of emerging political issues, great writers and highly readable, I never end up skipping an article which is high praise.
> 
> Harper's (http://www.harpers.org/ (Note: not 'Harper's Bazaar' which would be more of the usual fashion/celebrity) is also good, lighter in tone than The Atlantic but arguably with more US-focused topics.
> 
> Both of these have fairly liberal American outlooks and would include coverage of feminist topics & writers.



Second both these recommendations although I prefer Harper's to 
The Atlantic. It certainly has a more literary bent but I would disagree that it is lighter in tone than the Atlantic.
Current issue
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/07
Lots of good stuff also in the weekend FT
Regards


----------



## Chocks away (19 Jun 2009)

After McCalls went to the wall I went over to Harper's Bazaar. More recently Harper's as well. Here I subscribe to The Week and buy some of the others occasionally if the front cover attracts me. Cosmo, Marie Claire and suchlike are for the under 40s . Got The Oldie once and began to nod off while reading the first paragraph.


----------



## Purple (19 Jun 2009)

Time and the Economist are not bad most of the time.


----------



## DeeFox (22 Jun 2009)

I don't think anyone has mentioned "Readers Digest" yet - I used to read it years ago and thought it was always interesting.


----------



## danaforever (23 Jun 2009)

MissRibena, where are you getting your annual subscription for $43 please?  Thanks


----------



## MissRibena (23 Jun 2009)

[broken link removed]

I notice that they have 'plus applicable sales tax' in the small print, so I'm not sure if that means there's another 21.5% on it or not.   Still even at that, it comes to about €3.20 an issue, which is clearly way better than the €5.85 I paid.

The magazine hunt update so far ....

Thumbs up to Vanity Fair.  Great articles, minimal celebrity/style stuff, no sport.  If it had some more reviews, I'd be completely sold but it's definitely not in the same bracket as Cosmo or Vogue or Marie Claire or Harpers Bazaar.  I don't even know how I came to the conclusion it was now.

I got the Sunday Times again and it is just too big and too piecemeal for me.  I know they are trying to put in all the disparate bits and pieces that suit me and others but more of it ends up in the wheelie bin than anywhere else.

The FT weekend edition is a good suggestion also.  I've gotten it before and although I felt very poor looking at the ads, it's still a good concise option.  I'd forgotten about Readers' Digest.  I used to love this when my mam subscribed and it would last forever and ever.  It is definitely worth another look.

My local Easons, which seems to me to have any amount of magazines on all kinds of esoteric stuff (train sets to Der Spiegel), doesn't have Harpers or The Atlantic but I am not deterred and will keep searching for them.

Thanks again for all the suggestions everyone


----------



## Mpsox (23 Jun 2009)

MissRibena said:


> [broken link removed]
> 
> 
> My local Easons, which seems to me to have any amount of magazines on all kinds of esoteric stuff (train sets to Der Spiegel), doesn't have Harpers or The Atlantic but I am not deterred and will keep searching for them.
> ...


 
you won't find the Atlantic in Easons, but you can subscribe $39.50 for 10 issues
[broken link removed]


----------



## Shei (24 Jun 2009)

http://www.aldaily.com/


----------

