Episode · The Book Review · 2017-04-14
Books mentioned on Power and Punishment
Gilbert Cruz discussed A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes. Chris Hayes discussed The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Jason Zinoman discussed Letterman by Jason Zinoman. Jennifer Schuessler discussed Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The fire next time by James Baldwin, and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. Parul Sehgal recommended Bento's Sketchbook by John Berger, and discussed Ways of Seeing by John Berger. John Williams discussed The Possessed by Elif Batuman and The Idiot by Elif Batuman. Pamela Paul recommended The belly of Paris by Émile Zola, and discussed Germinal by Émile Zola.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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A Colony in a Nation
Discussed“Chris Hayes joins us now he is the host of Allin with Chris Hayes on MSNBC and he has a new book out a colony in a nation reviewed this week on the cover of the book review”
Where to get it
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The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic American novel about a woman forced to wear a scarlet letter after committing adultery in a Puritan community.
Discussed“so like The Scarlet Letter for instance that's this foundational text of American punitiveness right”
Where to get it
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Letterman
Letterman by Jason Zinoman is a comprehensive non-fiction biography that examines the legendary career, cultural impact, and complex personality of late-night television host David Letterman.
Discussed“and this is I think my the subtitle of my book might be controversial in 10 years from now it may look self-evidently wrong which is the last giant play night”
Where to get it
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Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful, epistolary memoir structured as a letter from a father to his teenage son regarding the realities of growing up Black in America.
Discussed“James Baldwins the fire next time was sort of an inspiration for tanahi coats's Memoir between the world and me”
Where to get it
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The fire next time
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is a searing and brilliant collection of essays examining race, religion, and American identity through letters and personal reflection.
Discussed“James Baldwins the fire next time was sort of an inspiration for tanahi coats's Memoir between the world and me”
Where to get it
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Giovanni's Room
Giovanni's Room is a 1956 novel by James Baldwin that explores the complex romantic and existential struggles of an American man living in Paris.
Discussed“one kind of amazing thing I saw was a a teleplay I think it was sort of a screen television screenplay adaptation of giovan's room his great 1956 novel”
Where to get it
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Bento's Sketchbook
Bento's Sketchbook by John Berger is a reflective and philosophical work blending prose, drawing, and meditations on perception, inspired by the seventeenth-century lens grinder and philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
Recommended“I am reading this week Bento Sketchbook by John Burger a book that I have pretended to have read for many years”
Where to get it
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Ways of Seeing
Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a landmark work of art criticism that examines how visual culture, advertising, and class privilege shape our perception of imagery and paintings.
Discussed“and if people you know have read any John Burger he wrote this very influential book called ways of seeing and he's an art critic”
Where to get it
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The Possessed
The Possessed by Elif Batuman is an engaging collection of essays subtitled Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them.
Discussed“um the other thing that I'm sort of starting to dip into this week is ellf botan's the possessed uh collection of essays subtitled adventures with Russian books and the people who read them”
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“and she has a big novel out this year called the idiot which parl also just reviewed in the book revieww also a very lovely piece”
Where to get it
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The belly of Paris
The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola is a sweeping naturalistic novel depicting the vibrant, bustling world of the Parisian central markets during the Second Empire.
Recommended“so I'm reading the book that I started last week Emil zolah is the belly of Paris”
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“and it's funny it's very different I think I talked about this last week from germinal the only other Zola that I've read”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Chris Hayes will be here to talk about his new book a colony in a nation”
“just how big an influence was David Letterman on late night TV Jason zinaman will join us to talk about his new biography Letterman the last giant of late night”
“Chris Hayes author of a colony in a nation Chris thanks so much for being here”
“Jason Zinman joins us now he is the comedy critic for the New York Times and he has a new book out this week Letterman the last giant of late night”
“the book again is Letterman the last giant of Late Night by Jason zinnamon this”
“and it starts with a sentence about the Magic Mountain by Tomas”