Close Reads Podcast
Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader, co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. The hosts read good books and discuss them with empathy and intelligence, aiming for conversations that are accessible to amateurs. The show is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC.
Episodes
A Very Special Follow-up Episode on “Beloved” with Dr. Angel Adams Parham
Close Readers, I’m thrilled to present this very special episode on Beloved with Dr. Angel Adams Parham, a professor at the University of Virginia and the co-author of The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature. We chatted about the literary tradition at the heart of the book, Morrison’s aesthetic choices, the concept of re-memory and its significance in the story, i
Our Man in Havana: To the End
As we get to the end of Graham Greene’s novel it’s time to discuss such things as whether the book has a happy ending, who the villain of the book is, the spiritual underpinnings in the story (and Milly’s role therein), the madness Beatrice refers to in the final passage, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to
Our Man in Havana: Parts 3-4
Welcome back to our series on Graham Green’s “Our Man in Havana!” This week we’re discussing Wormold and Beatrice’s relationship, the symbolism of masks and shadows, Greene’s commentary on bureaucracy and truth, the role of marriage and domestic life, and much more. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep
Our Man in Havana: Parts 1 + 2
It’s time for a new series, this time on one of Sean’s very favorite authors, Graham Greene! So join in as we dig into the origins of this “elevated entertainment,” the way the book explores the plight of modern man, the important role of the protagonist’s daughter, the book’s treatment of espionage, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other
The Pros and Cons of Christopher Nolan's Adaptation of "The Odyssey"
What makes The Odyssey difficult to adapt? Which parts of Homer’s story are most essential to include? In what ways does Christopher Nolan’s adaptation work (and not work)? Writer, teacher, and film-lover Joshua Gibbs joins the show to discuss in this special episode. What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss
Beloved: Q&A
As we come to the end of our reading of Beloved we dig into some listener questions. We talked about a variety of topics, including the book’s ending and some characters we haven’t covered in depth yet. And coming up in a few weeks we’ll have a very special guest on to discuss the book’s legacy. Thanks for joining us for this series! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot
Beloved: 159-235
This week we’re digging into the complicated way that Toni Morrison presents Sethe’s tragic choice here in the middle of the book and especially the psychological implications and ramifications—both character-wise and aesthetically. Plus: Paul D’s response and Beloved’s haunting. There's a lot to dig into here so join the conversation! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to d
Beloved: 76-158
Welcome back to our series on Toni Morrison’s novel. In this episode we focus on Morrison’s engrossing prose, including the way she uses threaded metaphors and symbols, and how it enhances the pathos of the story. Plus, the trauma narrative and whether or not the novel is experimental. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or ge
Beloved: Pages 1-75
Welcome to our new series on Toni Morrison’s modern classic! In this first episode, we dig into the book’s complicated narrative structure, Morrison’s use of POV, the feminine nature of the story and writing, whether it’s a novel of advocacy, and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closer
The Feast: Q&A
Welcome to the conclusion of our series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel as we dig into a bunch of listener questions! Thanks for tuning in to these conversations and thanks to everyone who posted a question. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Feast: To the End
Welcome to the conclusion of our series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel! This week we discuss justice and mercy, the meek inheriting the earth, the various ways the end ties into the beginning, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Feast: Thursday
Welcome back to our series on Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast! We begin by answering a couple of listener questions, before discussing the fascinating “symposium” at the heart of this section (“what is wrong with this country!?”), Nancibel’s lovely conversation with her mother, and the Cove girls’ tragic conflict with their mother. Happy listening! If you enjoy Close Reads please consider subscribing
The Feast: Wednesday
Welcome back to our series on Margart Kennedy’s novel. This week we’re discussing Bruce’s confession, Hebe’s adventure (and insight into people), Siddal’s perceptions despite his sloth, patience and the spiritual life, patience vs wrath, and much more. Happy listening! If you enjoy Close Reads please consider subscribing to Close Reads HQ. Your support keeps the showing going. This is a public ep
The Feast: Tuesday
Welcome back to another conversation about Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast. This week we begin by discussing some audience comments, then we discuss a number of topics, including poor Bruce and his bad decisions, Mrs Gifford vs Mrs Cove, and the difference between subtly and cleverness in literature (and whether either are artistic virtues), and more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If yo
The Feast: Monday
And then it was Monday in Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast. This week topics of discussion includes the way the various characters may (or may not) represent the seven deadly sins, which characters we root for the most (and which we despise the most), the question of hope in the story, and much more, as usual. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscri
The Feast: Prologue-Sunday
Welcome to the first episode of a new series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel, The Feast. We discuss the book’s allegorical bent (and how it’s different than most allegorical novels), the role of each of the main characters, the unique structure of the book (and it’s early reveals), and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac
The Grapes of Wrath Q&A Episode
You have questions, we did our best to answer them. Thanks for tuning in to this series on Steinbeck’s classic novel and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Grapes of Wrath: To the End
So about that ending . . . We discuss (from a variety of angles). Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapter 26
This week’s episode is dedicated entirely to the lengthy chapter 26 so we have a chance to discuss poor Casy’s complicated arc and the Christ-like allusion in his demise and whether the novel present’s Tom’s killing of Casy’s murderer as justified (and what justice is in this story). Plus we hear from a few listeners and much more. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd li
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 22-25
Is ma emerging as Steinbeck’s new protagonist? Does the “grapes of wrath” chapter work? And what of the book’s evolving view of religion? We discuss these and several topics on this week’s episode. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Short Story Hour: "Leaf by Niggle" by J. R. R. Tolkien (FREE PREVIEW)
Welcome to another episode of our new series on classic short stories! This month, it’s Tolkien’s beloved story about creativity, hope, and the finitude of life. It’s also a little bit about Dante and Virgil, maybe a bit auto-biographical, and the perfect story to discuss during the Easter season. We discuss. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subsc
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 19-21
Does Casy redeem himself with his heroic action? Does this this book live too much in the realm of artifice? Does this book, like East of Eden, feature the idea of timshel and in what ways is his view of human nature different in this novel. Also: Tom as microcosm. These and many other topics are on this episode’s rundown. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 15-18
Is Steinbeck an American Dickens? Does this book have a villain/antagonist? What role do each of the tertiary characters play? And does Steinbeck take his particular use of symbolism too far? These are the sort of questions we’re discussing on this week’s show! Thanks for joining the conversation and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers o
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 8-14
It’s time to really discuss it: Do Steinbeck’s interstitial, alternating chapters work? We dig in—with differences of opinion. Plus we discuss the dramatic chapter 13, think about when Steinbeck’s use of symbolism works best, and chat about the 2026 Close Reads literary bracket (with a little help from an unusual friend). Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wit
The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 1-7
Welcome to the beginning of a new series as we dive into John Steinbeck’s classic novel. In this episode we discuss Steinbeck’s unique use of alternating chapters, his desire to make a political statement, the intensity of his prose, which characters we are supposed to sympathize with, and turtles. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or
This Is Happiness: Q&A Episode
Welcome to the conclusion of our series on Niall William’s novel, as we do our best to answer your questions! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
This Is Happiness: To the End
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel! This we discuss whether the novel has a “happy” ending, its final verdict on what happiness is, Williams’ subtle use of symbolism, Noe’s vocation, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
This Is Happiness: Chapters 23-31
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel, This Is Happiness. This week we discuss some audience comments, the book’s examination of the relationship between poetics and rhetoric, the difference between nostalgia and sentimentality, look at the way Noe and Christy are merging as the story goes on, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discus
This Is Happiness: Chapters 12-22
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ lovely novel. This week we discuss what this book has to say about happiness, the themes of hope and cynicism, Christy the romantic, coming of age, and our favorite passages in these chapters. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order
This Is Happiness: Chapters 1-11
Welcome to the start of a new series! Over the next several weeks we’ll be digging into Irish writer, Niall Williams pastoral novel, This Is Happiness. This week we’re discussing the proverbial nature of the narrator, the memory novel framing of the story, the way the place comes alive throughout the book, and much, much more. As always, happy listening! To learn about The Tapestry, the new curric
The Age of Innocence: Q&A Episode
As always, we conclude our series on Edith Wharton’s classic novel by answering your questions. There were a lot of good ones and we did our best to answer as many as we could. Sometimes, of course, you just have to look at it. Happy listening! To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order now. This is a public episode. If you'd li
The Age of Innocence: To the End
Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s very complex (and wonderful) novel. This week, in discussing the ending, we find ourselves at, well, a loss for words. Nevertheless, we persist. We attempt to reckon with the complicated nature of May’s character, Newland’s fatalism and paralyzed life of the mind, the question of whether he’s a tragic character, how we may or may not re-think the count
Age of Innocence: Chapters 19-25
Welcome back to our ongoing series about The Age of Innocence! This week we’re discussing when a thought becomes a sin in this book, whether there’s enough substance in Newland for a woman like Ellen to fall in love with him, Newland’s obsession with fate (even if he has manufacture some), Ellen as representative of European culture for Newland, and much, much more. Happy listening! This is a pub
The Age of Innocence: Chapters 10-18
Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s excellent novel. This week we talk about the way the two main female characters have emerged, how we respond to Newland’s dilemma, the moral conditions of the novel’s world, and much more. Happy listening! To learn about The Tapestry curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subsc
Age of Innocence: Chapters I-IX
Welcome to our first series of the new year, as we jump into Edith Wharton’s novel of the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence. This we discuss the way Wharton uses Newland Archer’s unique point-of-view, the nature of the Countess’ role in the story (and in Newland’s life), the book’s contemplation of the changing society, and much much more. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If yo
2025: A Year of Reading in Review
Welcome to our longest episode of the year, during which we discuss our favorite reading experiences of the year, share our individual top five books, and drop some news about HQ books for 2026. Happy new year from all of us at Close Reads! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Much Ado About Nothing: Q&A Episode
You had questions, we had answers, so join us for the final conversation about Shakespeare’s classic comedy! We talk about Margaret’s culpability, Don Pedros rejections, Claudio’s turn, Dogberry’s wisdom, and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
A Christmas Mailbag
For your errand-running, long drive, baking, cleaning, or lounging listening, we present a Christmas mailbag in which we answer your questions about traditions, books, characters in the Nativity story, and much more! Happy listening and Merry Christmas!Image credit: 1953, Man Tangled Up in Christmas Decorations by Al Brule This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscrib
Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5
Welcome back to our series on Much Abo About Nothing! This week we're discussing Hero's role in the story, which characters have a positive transformation, what makes Beatric and Benedick's relationship so delightful, and much, much more. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.subs
Much Ado About Nothing: Act IV
In this week’s conversation about Shakespeare classic comedy, we discuss the famous “kill Claudio” demand from Beatrice: How it opens up the drama of the play and brings Benedick and Beatrice together. Plus, Benedick’s transformation, the true cost of love, Don Pedro the man of causes, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers o
Much Ado About Nothing: Act III
Welcome back to another conversation about Shakespeare’s delightful comedy. This week we discuss the differences between “noting” and investigating, Dogberry the wise fool who sees but nonetheless can’t communicate clearly in contract with the characters who can communicate but don’t have vision, the question of who the play’s hero is, and much, much more. Happy listening! This is a public episod
Much Ado About Nothing: Act II
Welcome back to another conversation about Shakespeare’s wonderful comedy. The best bit: this week we’re joined by the one-and-only Tim McIntosh! Topics of conversation include the famous “gulling” scene, the difference between Benedick and Claudio, Don Pedro the schemer, and some more on “noting.” As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subs
Much Ado About Nothing: Act I
Welcome to a new series on one of Shakespeare’s most delightful and brilliant plays! In this episode, which is about act one, we discuss why it’s so beloved, the way Shakespeare’s unfurls the story while also offering complex layers of humor, whether you can tell when characters are being honest, Don Pedro’s scheming, and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to disc
A Farewell to Arms: Q&A Episode
It’s Q&A time. You’ve got questions; we have answers. So join in as we conclude our conversation on Hemingway’s classic novel. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
A Farewell to Arms: Book 5
Is A Farewell to Arms pure tragedy? Is there any hope in the denouement? What should we do with Hemingway’s alternate endings? These and many other questions are the focus of this week’s episode. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
A Farewell to Arms: Book 4
Sean calls this the happy section of the book, so in this episode we discuss the book’s conception of happiness, engage in a close reading of the scene between Frederic and an old billiards player, and contemplate the question of cynicism in this book. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.
A Farewell to Arms: Book 3
After an unfortunate delay, we’re back with further conversation about Hemingway’s twentieth century classic. This week we discuss the harrowing nature of this section, the bad moral luck of the characters, the rich spiritual contemplations at the heart of the novel, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to b
A Farewell to Arms: Book 2 (Chapters 13-24)
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Hemingway’s classical novel. This week we discuss the turn the book takes in book two, the nature of Hemingway’s contemplation of love, and a couple of key scenes that reveal his genius as a storyteller. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.
A Farewell to Arms: Book One (Chapters 1-12)
Welcome to our new series on Ernest Hemingway’s modern classic. For this first episode we chatted about Heidi’s deep love of the book, the subtly of Hemingway’s prose, the role of faith and confession in the story. whether it’s melodramatic, and much, much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit c
Q&A: The Princess and the Goblin + Ask-Us-Anything
This week is one part Q&A about The Princess and the Goblin, one part ask-us-anything. That means we’re discussing George McDonald’s plot devices, Irene’s grandmother, and goblins but also cooking, Shakespeare, new book releases, and the Muppets. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substa
The Princess and the Goblin: To the End
This week we discuss the delightful conclusion to George McDonald’s classic children’s novel, how it compares to classic fairy tales, why books like this matter more than ever, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Princess and the Goblin: Chapters 1-14
Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing George Macdonald’s delightful nineteenth century children’s story, The Princess and the Goblin. In this episode we discuss its similarities to (and influence on) Lewis and Tolkien, why books like this matter more than ever, and where it’s most delightful. As always, thanks for tuning in and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to dis
The Great Winnowing of 2025 (for 2026)
It’s that time of year! You’ve probably seen the posts revealing the books we’ll be discussing on the show in 2026 , but now you can tune into the process of making those determinations. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Wuthering Heights: Q&A
You had plenty of great questions; we did our best to answer them. So join in as we conclude our series on Emily Bronte’s classic novel. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Wuthering Heights: Final Chapters
We’ve come to the end of Emily Bronte’s novel and so we’re here to discuss, well, how it ends. Up first: Sean’s opinion. Then we discuss the impact of the late-stage POV-shift, whether this is a ghost story, the fun-to-discuss questions at the core of the book, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epi
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 22-28
Welcome back to our ongoing conversation about Emily Bronte’s novel! This week we discuss whether it’s too melodramatic, Heathcliff’s malevolence, Cathy’s kindness to pathetic Linton, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 15-21
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Emily Bronte’s novel! This week we’re discussing the degree to which the book is a love story, the strange circumstances of a particular character’s death and another character’s birth, the inevitability of the narrative (and it’s structure), and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get
Close Reads Live: A Special Tenth Anniversary Discussion of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"
Ten years ago, on the first ever episode of Close Reads, we discussed “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” the famous story by Flannery O’Connor. Last weekend, at our tenth anniversary party, we revisited it and we’re excited to share that discussion with you now. So whether you’ve been listening all along or whether it’s first time, thanks for tuning in and happy listening! Thanks so much to everyone wh
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 11-14
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Emily Bronte’s classic novel. This week we discuss the roots of the characters’ various issues, Cathy’s and Heathcliff’s sense of connection to one another, the profound sense that there is nothing solid upon which the characters can stand, Nelly’s seeming disdain for Cathy, and much more! Happy listening? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss th
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 7-10
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Emily Bronte’s classic novel. This week we’re discussing whether the book includes either a protagonist or an antagonist, how we should interpret the narration of Nelly, who we most sympathize with, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.s
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 1-6
Welcome to a new series! As we kick off our conversations on Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, we discuss the genius of the Bronte sisters, the somewhat disorienting nature of the book’s framing device, the way Bronte creates atmosphere, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.
The Great Gatsby: Q&A Episode
As always, you had plenty of great questions about our current book and on this episode we did our best to answer a bunch of them. Thanks for tuning in to and participating in this series. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Great Gatsby: The Final Chapters
It’s a bit late, but better late than never, right? Apologies for the delay! The upload speeds weren’t great in the English countryside. All the same, we’ve come to the end of The Great Gatsby, which means it’s time to talk about some of the most memorable passages in American literature. Join us as we dig in. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other sub
The Great Gatsby: Chapter 4-6
Welcome back to our series on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, in which we discuss his best novelistic skills, including his ability to deal in subtext while also creating mood. Plus: the way the book explores the dissonance between desire and reality, whether any of these characters have any interest in (or capacity to see) higher things, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If
The Great Gatsby: Chapters 1-3
Welcome to a new series of episodes on another wonderful book. It’s our first re-read here on Close Reads and it’s timely, too, since The Great Gatsby just turned 100 years old! So join in as we discuss what’s made F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel last a century, what makes Nick Carraway a compelling narrator, the tragic longing at the nostalgic core of the story, and much more. Happy listening! This
A Mailbag Episode
We’re in between books so we answered as many of your questions as we could—which is to say, this is one of those wide-ranging episodes on a variety of topics. Snack foods, book organization, novels we wish we wrote, protecting the canon, Lewis or Tolkien, and much more. Hope you enjoy! Until next time, happy reading. Up next: Chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby. This is a public episode. If you'd l
Piranesi: Q&A Episode
You had questions; we did our best to answer them. It’s the Piranesi Q&A episode. Happy listening! Up next: An ask-us-anything mailbag episode, then we’ll be kicking off a new series on The Great Gatsby. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
Piranesi: To the End
We’ve come to the end of Susannah Clarke’s novel, which means it’s time to discuss whether the somewhat controversial ending is ultimately satisfying, different ways of interpreting the book, the way it presents it’s myriad philosophical contemplations, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, v
Piranesi: Chapters 4 and 5
Wikipedia rabbit holes. Peacefulness or lack thereof in the world of Piranesi. The source of human goodness and morality. Sudafed fever dreams. These and many other topics are discussed on this week’s discussion of Susannah Clarke’s novel. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/
Piranesi: Parts 2 and 3
Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. This week we’re discussing the book’s genre-bending nature, Clarke’s extremely allusive approach (from Coleridge to Lewis and others in between), whether the house of a dark place or a peaceful place, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to
Piranesi: Part 1
Welcome to a new series! It’s time to dig into Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, a book that’s been requested many times since its release in 2020. In this episode, we’re previewing things and thinking about how to read it before discussing part 1. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.
O Pioneers!: Q&A Episode
You had questions; we did our best to answer them. It’s the final episode on O Pioneers!, and we’re sad to see it go. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
O Pioneers!: To the End
This week, Sean describes how he wasn’t prepared for the ending of this book and we discuss the precision of the writing in some of the key scenes. Plus: Is it more tragic or comic (in the literary sense), what does the book have to say about justice, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis
O Pioneers!: Parts 2 & #
What do we make of Carl’s choices (and semi-pursuit) of Alexandra? Does he have anything to offer her? What makes Marie such a compelling character? Plus, how Marie and Emil are counterpoints to Carl and Alexandra. This and much more are topics of discussion on this week’s discussion of Willa Cather’s modern classic. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot
O Pioneers!: Part 1
Welcome to a new series on another great novel, Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!. This week we’re discussing Cather’s instinctive yet precise writing, the book’s contemplation of imagination and vocation, the relationship between the characterization and the land, and much more. Plus we discuss our 2025 literary bracket. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with othe
A Tale of Two Cities: Q&A Episode
You had questions; we did our best to answer them. It’s another Q&A and it’s all yours now . . . or as soon as you hit the play button. Happy listening! Note: no video for this one. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
The Jane Austen Heist Draft
Welcome to the Jane Austen heist draft, in which each of us will build a six-member crew of Jane Austen characters to perpetrate a heist, Oceans 11 style. In this case, we’re stealing back a long lost Turner painting from Captain Rushworth, who has (wrongly) claimed it as his own. Who has the best crew? That’s up to you. Happy listening! Note: The Q&A for A Tale of Two Cities will run next Monday.
A Tale of Two Cities: Final Chapters
And so we come to the end of Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities! In this episode, we discuss the sometimes complicated nature of reading and writing historical fiction, the way Dickens ratchets up the drama in the section, the wonderful confrontation between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge, and much more! As always, thanks for listening and happy reading! Want to ask a quesiton for next week’s Q&
Now Available to Pre-order: "The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life" by Heidi White
In this very special episode we go behind-the-scenes with Heidi on her forthcoming book! What’s the origin story? Why is the topic so important to her? What was it like to write? How’s she feeling now? Plus Tim’s here! What a momentous day. Happy listening! Want to pre-order your copy? Click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonu
A Tale of Two Cities: Book 3, Chapters 1-8
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities! This week we’re chatting about scenes that make this section exciting, the political context of the story, what Dickens’ worldview seems to be based on some of the metaphors he uses in the book, and much more. Happy listening!Click here to support Bandersnatch Book’s book of poetry for children! This is a public episode.
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