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Every book Brandon Taylor recommended on podcasts
Brandon Taylor appears on literary programs such as The Book Review, where he presents himself as a perceptive contemporary novelist and critic with a deep appreciation for both classic literature and rigorous research. When asked about his current reading habits, Taylor mentions Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary, praising it as an exceptionally good novel. Throughout his discussions, Taylor reveals a habit of drawing inspiration from other works of literature, explaining how he names characters after figures in books by authors like Joan Didion, specifically referencing Play It as It Lays, and Ann Patchett, mentioning Commonwealth. In addition to fiction, Taylor incorporates extensive research materials into his creative process, citing Mary Gabriel's Ninth Street Women as a brilliant biography that aided his work. He also examines tropes and literary history by discussing scenes in his own writing that touch upon Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and the classic literary tropes of the tragic figure. Furthermore, Taylor engages in broader literary criticism, analyzing the emergence and immense success of contemporary Irish author Sally Rooney by comparing her debut novel Conversations with Friends with her subsequent bestseller Normal People.
Books recommended by Brandon Taylor
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Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a classic nineteenth-century French novel that tells the tragic story of a provincial doctor's wife who engages in extra-marital affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities of her provincial life.
Recommended“Well, I'm reading Madame Bovery, which hot take so good.”
Where to get it
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Beautiful World, Where Are You
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney is a contemporary novel that examines the romantic and philosophical entanglements of four interconnected characters navigating friendship, art, and modern anxiety.
Discussed“great conversation in beautiful world where are you”
Where to get it
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Commonwealth
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett is a sweeping novel that explores the complex dynamics of two intertwined families over several decades following an unexpected kiss at a christening party.
Discussed“Even in my first book, Wallace is named people thought it was like Wallace Stegner, but it was in fact Wallace named after a character in Anne Patchet's Commonwealth.”
Where to get it
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Conversations With Friends
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney is a critically acclaimed contemporary debut novel exploring the intricate relationships among a group of young adults in Ireland.
Discussed“Sally Rooney is a young Irish writer who burst onto the scene with her debut novel conversations with friends a few years ago now and then she followed it up with a mega bestseller normal people which was made into a very successful television show”
Where to get it
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Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë's timeless masterwork Jane Eyre follows the harrowing and triumphant journey of its spirited titular orphan as she overcomes a bleak childhood, secures employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall, and confronts the dark secrets of Edward Rochester.
Discussed“it had to have joking around with his friend Bernard and them riffing on Jane Air and the trope of the tragic Mulatto.”
Where to get it
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Ninth Street women
Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel is a sweeping and acclaimed biography that details the lives and artistic triumphs of five pivotal abstract expressionist painters, including Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning.
Discussed“I read Ninth Street Women, which is another really great biography.”
Where to get it
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Normal People
Normal People by Sally Rooney is a contemporary bestselling novel that traces the complex, evolving romantic and emotional relationship of two young Irish students transitioning from secondary school to university.
Discussed“Sally Rooney is a young Irish writer who burst onto the scene with her debut novel conversations with friends a few years ago now and then she followed it up with a mega bestseller normal people which was made into a very successful television show”
Where to get it
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Play It as It Lays
Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion is a stark and haunting 1970 novel that captures the profound existential alienation and emotional desolation of a former actress adrift in the desolate landscapes of Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Discussed“But no, he's named after Mariah Wyth from a Joan Ddian novel from Play It As Lays, I believe it is.”
Where to get it
Books Brandon Taylor wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Taylor On His New Novel, 'Minor Black Figures' | The Book Review | 2025-10-10 | 5 |
| Brandon Taylor on the Sally Rooney Phenomenon | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 7 |