Episode · The Book Review · 2018-04-20
Books mentioned on Jo Nesbo Reimagines ‘Macbeth’
Gilbert Cruz discussed Macbeth by Jo Nesbø, The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani, and In the Garden of the Ogre by Leila Slimani. Leila Slimani discussed Germinal by Émile Zola. Alexandra Alter discussed A Higher Loyalty by James Comey and others. Jennifer Szalai discussed Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan, Locking up our own by James Forman, God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright, Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, and The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright. Dwight Garner discussed The Gulf by Jack Emerson Davis and Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith. Parul Sehgal recommended The Bridegroom Was a Dog by Yōko Tawada, and discussed The emissary by Yōko Tawada and Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yoko Tawada. Also mentioned: The Idiot by Elif Batuman and In the distance by Hernán Díaz.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Macbeth
Discussed“James Shapiro shakerian scholar joins us now to talk about his cover review of Joe nebo's version of MC Beth”
Where to get it
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The Perfect Nanny
The Perfect Nanny is a chilling psychological suspense novel by Lela Slimani that explores the dark dynamics between a seemingly ideal nanny and the family who employs her, ultimately culminating in tragedy.
Discussed“we are very lucky to have here in the studio Leila slimani who is the author most recently of the book The Perfect Nanny which came out in January and she is here for the pen World voices festival”
Where to get it
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Germinal
Germinal by Émile Zola is a classic, gritty realist novel that portrays the harsh lives and grueling struggles of coal miners in nineteenth-century France during a major labor strike.
Discussed“Zola when he wrote germinal the beginning of germinal it's because of a true story because of a strike in the the M District”
Where to get it
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A Higher Loyalty
A Higher Loyalty by James Comey is a high-profile political memoir by the former FBI director that chronicles his career in public service, his handling of sensitive investigations, and his interactions with political leaders including Donald Trump.
Discussed“this is James comey's book a higher loyalty”
Where to get it
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Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan is a historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of wartime New York through a noir lens, exploring the experiences of Americans during a time of immense national power.
Discussed“I mean you had Jennifer Egan with her novel Manhattan Beach which was kind of a throwback”
Where to get it
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The Idiot
The Idiot by Elif Batuman is a brilliant coming-of-age novel that follows a young woman navigating her freshman year at Harvard and her nascent, epistolary romance with an older student.
Discussed“I was happy to see the idiot there which was that was a finalist finalist two kind of comic novels finalist and winner”
Where to get it
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In the distance
In the Distance by Hern%c3%a1n D%c3%adaz is a structurally ambitious historical novel that follows a young Swedish immigrant wandering across the American West before the Civil War.
Discussed“and the third book this the other finalist for fiction was hernand Diaz's in the distance which was also kind of a not just a dark horse but of an unknown horse in the race”
Where to get it
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Locking up our own
Locking Up Our Own by James Forman Jr.
Discussed“it was James Foreman Jr's locking up our own which was listed as one of our 10 best in the book review”
Where to get it
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The Gulf
Discussed“yeah golf by Jack E Davis it's a big and and quite well wrought book of history”
Where to get it
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The emissary
The Emissary by Yōko Tawada is a translated work of contemporary Japanese fiction that presents a somber and dystopian vision of society.
Discussed“and she's a new book called The Emissary which is not funny and it is not light but it's very good in certain ways”
Where to get it
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The Bridegroom Was a Dog
The Bridegroom Was a Dog by Yōko Tawada is a concise, sixty-page short story by the acclaimed Japanese writer that explores surreal and transgressive themes.
Recommended“although if you haven't read toada I suggest you start with the bridegroom was a dog which is about just that”
Where to get it
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Memoirs of a Polar Bear
Discussed“the one before this was the M mems polar bear which is about three generations of a polar bear family that are ALS”
Where to get it
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Life on Mars
Life on Mars by Tracy K.
Discussed“I don't think it's quite on par with her last one life on Mars which won the P prize”
Where to get it
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God Save Texas
God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright is a sweeping, deeply reported narrative journey into the political, cultural, and historical soul of the Lone Star State.
Discussed“I did yes God saved Texas”
Where to get it
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Going Clear
Going Clear by Lawrence Wright is a meticulously researched investigative book that exposes the inner workings, history, and controversial practices of the Church of Scientology.
Discussed“and in going clear his book about scientology”
Where to get it
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The Looming Tower
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright is a detailed non-fiction account tracing the origins of the war on terrorism, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the events leading up to September 11.
Discussed“I I you know the way that the way that he structures his books and I kind of found that I don't know if he does this in God Saves Texas but in the looming Tower and in going clear his book about scientology the looming Tower of course being about sort of origins of the war on terrorism”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Leila slimani in town for the Penn World voices Festival talks about her preg gonore winning novel The Perfect Nanny”
“at other times I'm obsessed and I wrote a book on the year of Lear which is also about the year of MC Beth about the ways in which Shakespeare is able to translate the anxieties of his time into a brilliant play”
“and of course you know getting attacked repeatedly by the president on Twitter which as Michael wolf demonstrated with fire and fury is a recipe for massive Book Sales”