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The Moving Toyshop: Second Half
As we come to the end of our brief series on Edmund Crispin’s mystery novel, it’s time to discuss the puzzle (as it were). Does it work? How does it stack up? And then once that's out of the way, Dav…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
The Moving Toyshop: Chapters 1-7
Edmund Crispin’s The Moving Toyshop is one of David’s favorites, so this conversation touches on why that is, what makes Crispin’s mysteries different, what makes a good mystery novel in general—plus…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Q&A Episode
As is our custom here at Close Reads, we’re here to answer your questions. So in this episode, David, Heidi, and Tim discuss questions about hope in Ivan Denisovich; the value of work in the story; t…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Announcing the Book List for 2024: The Great Winnowing!
Our 2024 book list is here! We have chosen twelve books to discuss next year, all of which we’re very excited about. We included a few beloved novels for readers of all ages, a couple of contemporary…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: To the End
What is the purpose of Alyosha? Is Shukov a hero? Is there a specific moral vision at the core of this story? What is the nature of symbolism in the narrative? Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig …
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: First Half
Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig into Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s classic prison novel—one of the most influential books of the last century. This week we chat about the context of the book, the w…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Q&A Episode
You have questions—we try to answer them. So join David, Heidi, and Tim as they discuss such things as the degree to which Basil deserves blame in Dorian’s fall, whether Wilde wants us to sympathize …
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The Divided Soul in the American South: A Close Reads on the Road Talk
Normally, we would be dropping a new subscriber-exclusive episode today, but since Monday was Labor Day we took the day off which means the newest episode on That Hideous Strength will come next week…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Final Chapters
The final pages of The Picture of Dorian Gray are pretty wild, packed full of famous scenes and images, so join David, Heidi, and Tim as they discuss the demise of several characters, the question of…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Chapters 8-12
It’s time for more Oscar Wilde talk. This week, the conversation explains how this section made Tim a fan of the book, digs into Dorian’s psychological complexity, and explores the role external and …
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago