We’re on to a new book here on Close Reads! So join us as we discuss the particular mix of melancholy and humor that Elizabeth Taylor manages to offer to readers, the subtleties of the book’s central relationships, the crisis of loneliness in the story, and why this is one of David’s favorite kinds of book. Also, Heidi makes predictions. Happy reading!

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We’ve come to the end of another book and this time we are discussing the supernatural and spiritual implications of the final pages, the modern vision of hope the book seems to hew close to, Kayla’s role in the final scenes, and much more. Thanks for tuning in and happy listening!

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What’s your favorite book from the 1860s? Something by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky? Dickens or Alcott? This week on Close Reads we’re drafting books from this very important decade in several categories—and you’ll get the final say on whose “roster” of titles is best. So click play and get ready to vote (poll coming soon). Happy listening!

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The Rings of Power season one is over and it’s time to take stock. So join Ian and David as they discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what may be next in this controversial new take on Tolkien’s work.

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This week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed whether the Count has changed over the course of the story, whether he is a “whole” character, David’s wild (pretend) theory about this book, and more on Towle’s approach to POV.

Happy listening!

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This week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed whether this book is up to the ideas that it is asking us to contemplate, the meta elements of its presentation, the way this section knocks the count off his equilibrium, and much, much more.

Happy listening!

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This week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed the fascinating nature of the Count’s relationship with Anna; the book’s preoccupation with skill and craft; the way Europe hovers over the themes of the books; and much more.

Happy listening!

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This week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed virtue, vice, and wine in A Gentleman in Moscow. Is that enough to prompt you to click play?

Happy listening!

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Now that we’ve come to the end of book one of Amor Towles’ very popular novel, its time to reset and consider what key questions and themes this book is asking us to contemplate. What does this book have to say about modern man? Is it perhaps darker than our initial response would indicate? Why does Towles pepper the book with so many literary references? The and other questions are the subject of this week’s show!

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Amor Towles’ 2016 novel is one the most requested books in the history of the Close Reads community, so it’s only fair that we finally dig in! Join David, Heidi, and special guest, Ian Andrews of the Center for Lit, for an initial discussion of the themes of the book, what Towles does well, a bit on the historical context, and a whole bunch of wine talk at the end. Happy listening!

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The discourse around Amazon’s Rings of Power has been fraught. So in this special crossover episode between Close Reads and Bibliophiles, David Kern and Ian Andrews try to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and why the conversation has been they way it is.

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It’s that time yet again — when we answer your questions! As usual, you gave us plenty to talk about. So in this final conversation about Eugene Vodolazkin’s novel, we contemplate Laurus’ lack of a burial, Tim’s Protestant viewpoint of the book, obsession with the end of the world, holy fools, and much more!

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It’s been said that this is Close Reads Christmas.

The last two days we have been revealing (on the Close Reads Facebook group and on the Goldberry Studios Instagram page) the books we will be discussing on the show in 2023. And now that the whole list has been unveiled it’s time to share them all in one place. So jump in your car, grab your running shoes, start the laundry . . . prep for whatever you do when you’re listening . . . and click play, because on this episode you can listen in as we decide what to listen to, winnowing the list from 35 finalists to 12 winners.

Or just scroll down and check out the list. Either way, we’re excited about this list and can’t wait to dig into the books with you.

Want to buy the books through Goldberry? Here’s the list all in one place.

Note: If you want to discover the list by listening don’t read below this point.

The List

Please note this list is not the order in which the books will be discussed, which is still being determined.

The Scarlet Letter / Nathaniel Hawthorne

This first book won't surprise you, if you've been paying attention. It's a bonafide classic of American Lit. A book ruined by many a bad high school English class. It's one of those books that is outshined by its reputation far too often. We will be using Karen Swallow Prior's lovely edition--and, yes, she will be joining us!

Persuasion / Jane Austen

This book is a classic, beloved for nearly two hundred years for its wit and wisdom. It's hilarious. It's poignent. And it features one of the great female characters in English literature.

The Picture of Dorian Gray / Oscar Wilde

This book has been requested many times over the years. It's a complex and mildly controversial example of a gothic novel. It's got it's detractors; it's got its super fans. It's super literary; it's pretty campy. It's a great novel for debate.

Pygmalion / George Bernard Shaw

You might primarily know our next book as the inspiration for a movie starring Audrey Hepburn, but it's great in its own right. It's our annual dive into a play. It's inspired by Greek mythology. It's absurdly readable.

The Optimist’s Daughter / Eudora Welty

Original Close Reader, Mary Jo Tate, has been singing the praises of our next author for years, and you know what, it is time. It's time to do a book by one of the great Southern writers, by one of the great female writers, by the one of the great American writers period. It is time to do a Eudora Welty novel.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich / Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Our next book is Tim' personal choice--and it's a worthy one. A book that is important for more than its literary merit, it also played a key role in revealing (and even changing) history. It isn't always easy to read, but it's a necessary inclusion in any list of the most essential books of the twentieth century.

The Diary of a Country Priest / Georges Bernanos

One of our favorite recurring genres here at Close Reads is what I will just call the Great Religious Novels of the twentieth century. Think, say, The Power and the Glory. The 2023 example of that is perhaps best known for being the inspiration for one of the great religious movies ever made (same name). It is French. It is pretty Catholic. It's lyrical.

Things Fall Apart / Chinua Achebe

This book may be relatively slight in terms of page count. It's one of the shorter novels we've done on Close Reads (although not the shortest we will read next year!). But it packs a literary punch in the form of a profound and influential historical novel.

The Moving Toyshop / Edmund Crispin

Every year we try to read a mystery of some kind, typically during the dreary winter months. Well this year's mystery is a bit of a cult classic, a hilarious and fun murder mystery with a clever puzzle, delightful characters, and dazzling proze. It is one part Wodehouse, one part Dorothy Sayers.

Everything Sad is Untrue / Daniel Nayeri

Every year we give each of our contributors the opportunity to choose a book. We also like to do a children's novel every now and then. Well our next book for 2023 is Heidi White's choice, a delightful young adult novel that has been getting more buzz in this group than a post criticizing Keira Knightly.

The Netanyahus / Joshua Cohen

David’s choice, this 2021 novel is a strange, hilarious, melancholy, brilliant, bizarre, philosophical novel that some of you may find confounding but, hey, it DID just win the Pulitzer prize. It's about history. It's about Jewish culture. It's about America. It's a contemporary novel that offers a lot to think about.

A Canticle for Liebowitz / William M. Miller Jr.

Next year, our friend Sean Johnson, who has been on the East of Eden episodes, will be helping us out here and there, so we felt it was only right to let them him choose a book, too. Luckily, he chose a fascinating book that has been nominated a number of times over the last few years. It's a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel about monks in the American Southwest who are working to rebuild culture. It's an award-winning classic of the genre, that some critics claim is as good as Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh.

Click here to claim your copies of these titles today through Goldberry Books.

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Join us as we dig into the second half of Tove Jansson’s delightful novel, The Summer Book. We discussed whether this is a fundamentally feminine book, the fascinating (and moving) absence of the father throughout, the complex presentation of the grandmother as a character, Jansson’s masterful ending, and much, much more.

Happy listening!

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While Tim explores the Scottish Highlands in a kilt (we presume), David and Heidi are discussing the final pages of Laurus. Conversation touches on the cyclical nature of the story and its themes, the downfall (and rehabilitation) of Laurus’ reputation, his late-in-life second chance, his death/falling asleep, and much more.

Thanks so much for listening!

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This week its Tim’s turn to be in Europe, so David and Heidi are holding down the podcast fort. The reading took us to the Book of Repose, so conversation touches on the untimely and fairly gruesome demise of Ambrogio, the book’s contemplation on the nature of time, the way the book is a form hagiography, and much, much more. Happy listening!

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During this week’s episode, Heidi was off on an adventure in Switzerland, so David and Tim held down the Close Reads fort, which just means they discussed Ambrogio the Italian, his strange visions, and his role in the book; the way the book layers deep philosophical questions into the narrative (including on the question of time); Tim’s grand theory for this book; and more.

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Arseny has a new name and is on a new journey, so on this week’s episode David, Heidi, and Tim dig into Ustina the miracle worker, the self-awareness of the book, reading it from a theological perspective, why David has some reservations about it, and much more.

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This section of Laurus is fairly traumatic—so traumatic, in fact, that Heidi says she can barely bring herself to re-read it. So naturally David, Heidi, and Tim discussed what its purpose is, what Vodolazkin seems to be after, how they read this book, a few deep theological questions the book raises, and much more. Happy listening!

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It’s time to launch our voyage into a new book. Over the next six weeks or so we’ll be traversing with Arseny across medieval Russia, contemplating all the while matters of history, faith, mysticism, wonder, beauty, tragedy, sin, repentance, guilt, love, and much more. Here on this first episode, David, Heidi, and Tim explain why they love this book so much, discuss what makes Vodolazkin such a gifted writer, contemplate the way the book approaches bodies and physicality, and offer some tips for reading the rest of the book. Happy listening!

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As always upon reaching the end of a book, it’s time for a Q&A episode. And, of course, you delivered plenty of great questions worthy of contemplation. So in this week’s episode David, Heidi, and Tim discussed the place of Moon (and his secret) within the narrative, the storyline of the falling man, why Kathy and Tom get on so well, and much more.

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In which David and Sean make Heidi endure the slings and arrows of the new adaptation of her favorite Jane Austen novel—all for your entertainment. Along the way they discuss the way the filmmakers seem not to have read the book but also have a good eye for wardrobe (but again, even there, seem unfamiliar with when the book and ostensibly the movie itself, takes place). It’s a whole thing. Anyway, feel free to hit play on the movie at the same time we do, or to watch and then listen to our reactions later, or to just ignore the whole thing altogether and go on with your life happier in the knowledge that, well, you’re less broken inside than people who watched it.

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This week we’re discussing the second half of J.L. Carr’s A Month in the Country, which means we’re chatting about Alice Keach, Mr Moon, what the fresco in the church reveals, Tom Birkin’s past, and much more. Oh—be warned: there’s also an off-the-rails conversation about wet neckerchiefs.

(Reminder: we are away at a conference the rest of this week so there will be no episode next week. We will run the Q&A episode on July 26.)

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The gang is back together! Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they chat about one of David’s favorite books, J.L. Carr’s A Month in the Country. In this episode, they discuss what Carr does especially well, the virtues of the book being short, the story’s place in World War I narratives, and much more.

Happy listening!

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Summer is nearly here, so it’s the perfect time to dive into Tove Jansson’s cult classic, The Summer Book, a delightful but melancholy story about the relationship between a young girl and her grandmother and their life on an island. In this episode we chatted about Jansson’s attention to the details of island itself, the unique perspectives of the two main characters, the episode nature of the story and the unique humor in each, and much more. Happy listening!

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Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they conclude their conversation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles by answering your questions. Topics include Tess’s idealization of Angel, frustrations with the end of the book, the development of the novel as an art form, Hardy’s criticisms of his culture, Hardy’s use of symbolism, and much more!

(And thanks to Karen Swallow Prior for joining us for this series!)

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Here we are at the end of another novel. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they compare Alec’s love for Tess with Angel’s, contemplate the way justice is explored in Tess’ conclusion, discuss the nature of classical tragedy, and much more!

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Phase the fifth of Tess of the D’Urbervilles is incredibly sad, but it’s also remarkable in the way that Thomas Hardy manages to reveal the various complexities of his characters. So in this week’s episode David, Heidi, and Karen discuss the villainousness of Angel Clare, the choices of Tess, Hardy’s view of his culture, whether he gets women, and much more. Happy listening!

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Welp. It’s time for some confession. Here, right in the middle of Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece, we get a marriage followed by revelation. The courtship is over, the wedding day has arrived, and both parties bare their soul. And then we get a cliffhanger, of course. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they discuss.

Happy listening!

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As we draw near to the middle of Thomas Hardy’s great tragic novel, join Karen and Heidi (who are holding down the fort while David is sick) as they discuss Angel’s background and family life, Tess’s passivity, Hardy’s perspective on women, and the novel’s first glimpse into Angel’s underlying hypocrisy. Thanks for listening and for supporting Close Reads!

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“Phase the Third” of Tess of the D’Urbervilles is called “The Rally” so on this week’s conversation David, Heidi, and Karen discuss why Hardy called it that and what he might be saying about Tess as a character. Plus, discussion touches on what we’re supposed to think about Angel Clare, his budding romance with Tess, and his overly idealistic perception of her.

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Tess has returned home, but now she has baby with her, leading to one of the most beautiful and famous sciences in English literature in which Tess sorrowfully baptizes the poor little one. So this week, David, Heidi, and Karen dig in that scene and contemplate what Thomas Hardy is saying through it. Plus, discussion touches on the role Tess’s mother plays in her daughter’s misfortunes.

Thanks for listening!

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In this week’s episode on Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, David, Heidi, and special guest Karen Swallow Prior chat about artistic and naturalistic determinism in Hardy’s work, his hatred of Victorian moralism, and whether or not the novel idealizes Tess. And treacle. Definitely treacle.

Thanks for listening!

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Once again our friend Karen Swallow Prior is joining us to discuss one of her favorite books! This time it’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles and here on this first episode we discussed the ways this book is a tragedy (in the Aristotelian sense) but not nihilistic, why Karen loves it so much, what makes Hardy a great writer, and why Tess is a memorable character. Happy listening!

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This week’s episode is a special one. Our friend, Dr. Annika Prather, came on to chat about Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun. Dr. Prather loves this play and is very knowledgeable about literature and so she seemed like the perfect fit to join Tim, our drama guy, for this conversation. So tune in as Tim and Dr. Prather discuss whether Walter Jr. is a hero or a villain; whether this a play about money, family, or dignity; and whether Hansberry identified especially strongly with any particular character.

Thanks for listening!

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As always, we’re concluding a series by answering you questions. And, while it may have taken two different recording sessions, we answered as many as we could. Thanks so much to everyone who sent in questions—and happy listening!

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It’s time to answer your questions about Orwell’s 1984, and (as always) you came through with plenty of great ones. Thanks to your curiosity, we discussed what would be in our personal Room 101s, the dystopian stories we would write (if we wrote dystopian stories), Julia’s character and role in the story, 1984 vs. Brave New World, and much more. Happy reading!

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Welp, Winston Smith loves Big Brother but he doesn’t love Julia. So, in the end, do we love this book? Tune in to find out, as David, Heidi, and Tim chat about the recurring themes of the book, Orwell’s apparent goals, and the importance of his book within the culture at large. Happy listening!

This is a free episode of Close Reads, but this show is part of how we make a living, so if you’re able to support us financially here on Substack we’d sure appreciate it. And the great thing is we have lots of content available for those who do! If you’re already a supporter, thanks so much!

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Chapter nine of 1984 is one of the least dramatically compelling chapters in the book, and has even taken a fair bit of criticism over the years, so this week dig into why we think Orwell included it and whether it is necessary, with a few rabbit trails on political philosophy along the way. Thanks for listening!

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One of the reasons 1984 is such enduring book is because of the conversations it engenders and so in this episode we chatted a bit about the nature of those kinds of conversations. Plus, we discussed Winston as complicated protagonist, his relationship with Julia, and how we approach the question of morality in the story. Happy listening!

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Here we go. We’ve never done a book quite like George Orwell’s 1984 on Close Reads and it shows in this episode where we discuss whether the vibe of the book shows up in our world today and what Orwell’s goal seems to be.

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Here we are at the end of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, which means it’s time for a Q&A episode. As always, y’all delivered with some great questions. We did our best to answer as many as we could, but we especially focused on questions about Dewey Dell’s betrayal of Darl, Anse’s teeth and second wife, whether the book is actually funny at all, and that sort of thing.

As always, thanks for tuning in and for making the CR community what it is. Happy listening.

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And so we come to the end. Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig (no pun intended) into the fiery (pun intended) ending to this classic book. Where do the book's sympathies lie in the end? Why did Darl go mad? Who is trustworthy? These and many other questions get discussed. Happy listening!

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Join David and Heidi as they dig in to Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation of Death on the Nile. Is the movie in on the joke? Why is there no sand? What's up with Gal Gadot? Why do mustaches need back stories? These and many other questions get contemplated.

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In which David, Heidi, and Tim discuss river crossings, which characters the books seems to have the most sympathy for, and much more.

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Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig ever deeper into Faulkner's novel. Topics of conversation include mothers who are fish, mothers who are horses, buzzards, and Heidi's great delight in this book.

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We can finally talk about the whole book, which really means we can finally debate all the things we want to debate! So click play and listen in as we argue (sorta) about who can actually be trusted in this book and which theories are actually most . . . trustworthy. Happy listening!

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Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig into the first quarter of William Faulkner's infamous (and mildly inscrutable) novel, As I Lay Dying. Topics of conversation include tops for reading Faulkner, the various points-of-view that tell the story, what happens at the outset, and much more.

This episode is brought to you be BiblioFiles. Learn more at centerforlit.com.

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It's time to answer your questions about Death on the Nile, but first Tim has to answer a question from us. Then we discuss topics like movie casting, Christie's impact, Poirot's sense of justice, and much more.

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In which we discuss Poirot's decision, Christie's puzzle-making, and Tim is insufferable (and gets muted for it). And much more, of course.

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