Episode · The Book Review · 2021-08-27
Books mentioned on A.O. Scott Talks About William Maxwell
A.O. Scott recommended Time will darken it by William Maxwell and The Chateau by William Maxwell, and discussed The Happiness of Getting it Down Right by Frank O'Connor and others, So long, see you tomorrow by William Maxwell, The Folded Leaf by William Maxwell, They Came Like Swallows by William Maxwell, and Ancestors by William Maxwell. Pamela Paul discussed Dirty Work by Eyal Press and Beautiful Souls by Eyal Press. Alexandra Alter discussed I Alone Can Fix It by Carol Leonnig and others and Here, Right Matters by Alexander Vindman. Jennifer Szalai discussed Reign of Terror by Spencer Ackerman and The Trump Realignment by Spencer Goidel and others. Dwight Garner discussed Playlist for the Apocalypse by Rita Dove.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Happiness of Getting it Down Right
The Happiness of Getting it Down Right by Frank O'Connor and William Maxwell is a rich collection of correspondence that chronicles the enduring professional and personal relationship between the celebrated Irish writer and his esteemed New Yorker editor.
Discussed“I believe his first novel was right center of Heaven which he was kind of unhappy with and which wasn't reprinted until the library of America postumus volumes that came out in 2008”
Where to get it
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So long, see you tomorrow
So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell is a celebrated, poignant novella that explores a childhood memory, isolation, and a tragic murder in a small Midwestern town.
Discussed“and I think especially later on he had a big success kind of late in life with a novel called so long to you tomorrow almost a Nolla again revisiting his childhood”
Where to get it
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Time will darken it
Time Will Darken It by William Maxwell is a quiet, deeply observant novel set in a small Illinois town during the early twentieth century, chronicling the moral complexities and domestic strains faced by a principled lawyer.
Recommended“and a lot of the earlier books starting with time will darken it and also the folded Leaf his third and fourth novels I said them in the wrong order”
Where to get it
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The Folded Leaf
The Folded Leaf is a classic coming-of-age novel by American author William Maxwell that explores the complex, intense, and enduring friendship between two young men navigating the challenges of school and early adulthood in the mid-twentieth century.
Discussed“and a lot of the earlier books starting with time will darken it and also the folded Leaf his third and fourth novels I said them in the wrong order”
Where to get it
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The Chateau
The Chateau is a novel by William Maxwell that follows a young American couple traveling through France in the postwar era, navigating cultural differences and personal expectations.
Recommended“he wrote a wonderful very funny novel called The Chateau about a trip to France and a a kind of classic variation on the Americans abroad theme”
Where to get it
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They Came Like Swallows
They Came Like Swallows by William Maxwell is an exquisite autobiographical novel that captures the profound ripple effects of the 1918 influenza epidemic on a Midwestern family through the shifting perspectives of its members.
Discussed“and it was almost like in so many of these books whether it's so long see you tomorrow or or time will darken it or they came like swallows or the late short Story collection”
Where to get it
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Dirty Work
Dirty Work by Eyal Press is a work of investigative reportage that examines essential yet hidden jobs and the profound toll of inequality in America.
Discussed“Al press joins us now from the birk shears his new book is called Dirty Work essential jobs and the hidden toll of inequality in America”
Where to get it
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Beautiful Souls
Discussed“the previous book was called beautiful souls the courage and conscience of ordinary people in extraordinary times”
Where to get it
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I Alone Can Fix It
I Alone Can Fix It by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker is a journalistic account of the final months of the Trump administration, focusing on the chaos inside the White House and the actions of key military and civilian officials.
Discussed“and some of those have actually sold almost as well as you would expect when he was in office for example I alone can fix it which is an account by the washingt post reporters Caroline egg and Philip Rucker has sold better than their book that came out when he was in office which was surprising”
Where to get it
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Here, Right Matters
Here, Right Matters is a powerful memoir by Alexander Vindman that details his experiences with institutional integrity, courage, and accountability.
Discussed“so he has a book out now called C right matters and that's selling very well”
Where to get it
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Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror by Spencer Ackerman is a comprehensive critical history examining how the political and cultural fallout of the September 11 attacks fundamentally deranged American democracy, national security, and public life.
Discussed“so I reviewed a book recently it's called reign of terror and the author is Spencer akman who is a longtime National Security reporter for various Publications including the new Republic wire the guardian”
Where to get it
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The Trump Realignment
Discussed“so I reviewed a book recently it's called reign of terror and the author is Spencer akman who is a longtime National Security reporter for various Publications including the new Republic wire the guardian”
Where to get it
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Playlist for the Apocalypse
Discussed“I reviewed Rita Do's new book of poems and it's called playlist for the apocalypse”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Al press will be here to talk about his new book Dirty Work”
“Al press's new book is called Dirty Work essential jobs and the hidden toll of inequality in America”
“at least did you read the looming Tower”
“so I reviewed reign of terror how the 911 era destabilized America and produced Trump by Spencer auran”
“so I reviewed reign of terror how the 911 era destabilized America and produced Trump by Spencer auran”
“and I reviewed playlist the apocalypse poems by Rita Dove”