Book Chat

For Episode 4 of Book Chat, we travel back just a decade or so, to Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist and David Szalay's short stories in a novel, All That Man Is.We discuss Mohsin Hamid's ability to condense big ideas - what makes a fundamentalist? What biases are you bringing to the story? - into readable prose (and his other magical novels like Exit West) and David Szalay's attempt to condense modern masculinity from teen to OAP, as it roves Europe - in one book. You can get in touch bookchatpod@gmail.comSound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora SykesBooks/articles mentioned:All That Man Is and London and the South-East by David SzalayThe Reluctant Fundamentalist, Exit West and The Last White Man by Mohsin HamidGames and Rituals and Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine HeinyThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le CarréShuggie Bain by Douglas StuartThe Rachel Papers by Martin AmisIf on a winter’s night a traveller by Italo CalvinoHome Fire by Kamila ShamsieThe Runaways by Fatima Bhutto‘All That Man Is’, by David Szalay, review by Christopher Tayler for the Financial Times – https://www.ft.com/content/fe2db1c4-f797-11e5-803c-d27c7117d132 'All That Man Is,' and a Lot He Is Not, in David Szalay's View, by Dwight Garner for The New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/07/books/review-all-that-man-is-and-a-lot-he-is-not-in-david-szalays-view.html I Pledge Allegiance, by Karen Olsson for The New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/books/review/Olsson.t.html Clip attributions:David Szalay on Radio 4 Bookclub, 2019Mohsin Hamid on Radio 4 Bookclub, 2011Subscribe to Books + Bits: https://pandorasykes.substack.com/ Our books for Ep 5:The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey EugenidesMemorial by Bryan Washington Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's episode 3 of Book Chat! And this month we are travelling hundreds of years back, to a book Pandora's always wanted to read (Orlando, by Virginia Woolf) and one of Bobby's all-time favourites (Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte.) Last episode, Pandora groaned at the prospect of Wuthering Heights, which she read - and loathed - for GCSE. So has she changed her mind? We discuss the two books and also the culture around the two authors: the upper-class, sexually liberal art collective, the Bloomsbury group, which Virginia Woolf was part of, and 'the Bronte myth' which has become part of the Wuthering Heights lore. How were the books received at the time - and do they stand up as modern reads? Other books/ articles mentioned:You Be Mother, by Meg MasonMan's Search for Meaning, by Viktor FranklJane Eyre, by Charlotte BronteMrs Dalloway, Jacob's Room, A Room of One's Own, The Waves and To The Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf Terrible literary wigs that I have known and loved, by Maddie Rodriquez for Book Riot https://bookriot.com/terrible-literary-wigs-i-have-known-and-loved/Who's Virginia Woolf afraid of? by Stephen Unwin for Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2022/12/22/whos-virginia-woolf-afraid-of/Emily, 2022 film https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.985aca68-2553-4b7e-83de-1b6465a3a8e4?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wbOrlando, a play directed by Michael Grandage, on now at The GarrickOur books for Episode 4 are:The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin HamidAll That Man Is, by David SzalayYou can get in touch bookchatpod@gmail.comSound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora Sykes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Book Chat, a new monthly books podcast brought to you by novelist Bobby Palmer and journalist Pandora Sykes, which does what it says on the tin: we each bring one book, and we chat. Our one rule? The books have to be more than 2 years old. NB: this is a meaty book chat, not a book review show, so if you have not yet read the books, there will be spoilers.For our second episode, Pandora brings White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2000) and Bobby, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (2016, trans. 2019). Both books were huge bestsellers and launched each woman as a "literary sensation". We discuss this tag as well as the books themselves: our favourite bits, how they've aged, and what we'd change.Other books/ articles mentioned:Vesper Flights by Helen MacdonaldDarling by India KnightOn Beauty, NW, Intimations, Swing Time and Grand Union by Zadie SmithLife Ceremony and Earthlings by Sayaka MurataThe Interestings by Meg WolitzerWhite Teeth seemed fresh and optimistic in 2000 - how does it read now? by Sam Jordison for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/jul/14/white-teeth-2000-how-does-it-read-now-zadie-smithGeneration Why? by Zadie Smith for The New York Review of Books https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/11/25/generation-why/In Defence of Fiction, by Zadie Smith for The New York Review of Books https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/10/24/zadie-smith-in-defense-of-fiction/Zadie Smith interview: On Shame, Rage and Writing, for the Louisiana channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LREBOwjrrwFor Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata, odd is the new normal, by Motoko Rich for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/books/japanese-novelist-sayaka-murata-convenience-store-woman.htmlThe future of sex lives in us all, by Sayaka Murata for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/opinion/future-sex-society.htmlA Home at the End of the World by Michael CunninghamDarling by India KnightVesper Flights by Helen MacdonaldThe Interestings by Meg WolitzerThe Corrections by Jonathan FranzenCollected Works by Lydia SandgrenOpen Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonWhite Noise by Don DeLilloMy Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghLuster by Raven LeilaniThe Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey EugenidesGirl, Interrupted by Susanna KaysenOn Beauty, NW, Intimations, Swing Time and Grand Union by Zadie SmithEarthlings and Life Ceremony by Sayaka MurataYou can get in touch bookchatpod@gmail.com.Sound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora Sykes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Book Chat! A new monthly books podcast hosted by Pandora Sykes and Bobby Palmer, which does what it says on the tin: we each bring one book, and we chat. Our one rule? The books have to be more than 2 years old. For our inaugural episode, Bobby has chosen Tin Man by Sarah Winman, and Pandora has chosen Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin. So join us for a meaty book chat and beware for those who have not read the books: there will be spoilers. Other books mentioned:The Happy Couple by Naoise DolanThe Arrest by Jonathan LethemNormal People by Sally RooneyGrief is the Thing With Feathers by Max PorterTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinA Man Called Ove by Fredrick BackmanWhen God Was A Rabbit and Still Life by Sarah WinmanFurther Tales of The City, Babycakes and Michael Tolliver Lives, by Armistead MaupinClip attributions:Sarah Winman on Writer’s Bone podcast, 2018Armistead Maupin on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, 2007Ian McKellan reads Letter to Mama for Letters Live, 2017You can get in touch with us at bookchatpod@gmail.comSound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora Sykes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Book Chat, a new monthly books podcast hosted by Pandora Sykes and Bobby Palmer which does what it says on the tin: we each bring a book, and we chat. Our one rule? The books have to be more than 2 years old. First episode dropping 1 Dec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.