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Every book Matthew Schneer recommended on podcasts
Matthew Schneer appeared as a guest on The Book Review podcast in July 2024 for an episode titled Jackie, Before Marrying Jack. During the discussion, Schneer shared his deep appreciation for the works of author Barbara Pym. He discussed Pyms debut novel, Some Tame Gazelle, noting the extensive background and early drafts she worked on dating back to her days at Oxford. Schneer also analyzed Excellent Women, praising Pyms unique ability to shift the spotlight away from explosive personalities and focus instead on modest, proper, yet often overlooked women. He named A Glass of Blessings as his personal favorite Pym novel after Excellent Women, highlighting its later setting and its unusual choice of a married central protagonist. Furthermore, Schneer offered a literary critique by disagreeing with Paula Byrnes assessment that Pyms late novel The Sweet Dove Died stands as her absolute best work.
Books recommended by Matthew Schneer
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A Glass of Blessings
A Glass of Blessings is a novel by Barbara Pym that captures the subtle social nuances, quiet domestic moments, and gentle ironies of middle-class English life.
Recommended“my favorite among them after excellent women is one called a glass of blessings it's a little bit later on it features unusually a central protagonist who's married”
Where to get it
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Excellent Women
Discussed“these women who are well brought up and very proper a little bit Pious but can also be a little dowy a little dreary a little bit easier to overlook I mean I think one thing that's great about Pim is that she Yanks the spot away from these more explosive”
Where to get it
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Some Tame Gazelle
Discussed“and in the novel that eventually was published as some tame gazelle which was her first published novel but she was working on all the way back to the Oxford days”
Where to get it
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The sweet dove died
Critiqued“Paula burn makes special notice of a a late Pim novel called The Sweet Dove died and contends that it's her best novel and I actually would have loved to hear a little bit more about why because I vehemently disagree”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie, Before Marrying Jack | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 4 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“there's a great profile of Jaclyn Suzanne authoress of Valley of the Dolls you know and and just a kind of fabulous character”