Person
Every book Thomas Mallon recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Thomas Mallon has recommended or discussed 6 books on podcasts, as of October 15, 2021.
- Thomas Mallon has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of October 15, 2021.
- Those books came up in 2 episodes, as of October 15, 2021.
- The 3 books Thomas Mallon has mentioned in the most episodes, as of October 15, 2021: Crossroads, Purity and Freedom.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Thomas Mallon aired on October 15, 2021.
Updated
Thomas Mallon’s most recommended books
- Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
- Purity by Jonathan Franzen
- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
- The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Thomas Mallon appeared as a guest on The Book Review podcast to discuss historical fiction, writing research, and the career of novelist Jonathan Franzen. Reflecting on his own literary work, Mallon discussed his historical novel Henry and Clara, noting that writing about the Civil War felt easier in some ways because the further back a writer goes, the less both the reader and writer know. He also mentioned his previous novel Dewey Defeats Truman, which was set in the late 1940s without the benefit of living memory. Turning to the career of Jonathan Franzen, Mallon discussed Franzen's major novels, including his breakthrough work The Corrections and its accompanying dispute with Oprah Winfrey's book club, as well as Freedom and Purity. Mallon offered a critique of Franzen's trajectory, suggesting that when the author moved away from family-centered narratives in Purity—the novel preceding Crossroads—he ran into trouble as a writer. Throughout the discussions, Mallon provided literary context on historical research challenges and evaluated the prominent structural shifts across Franzen's bibliography.
Books recommended by Thomas Mallon
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Crossroads
Jonathan Franzen's novel "Crossroads" is a sprawling domestic drama set during the early 1970s that delves deep into the moral crises and religious yearnings of a suburban Chicago family.
Discussed“tried to review this new novel in the context of these big books from the corrections on the corrections Freedom Purity and now Crossroads the books that people have really I think been aware of”
Where to get it
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Purity
Purity by Jonathan Franzen is a sprawling contemporary novel that examines modern journalism, family secrets, global activism, and personal identity through an interconnected cast of characters.
Discussed“tried to review this new novel in the context of these big books from the corrections on the corrections Freedom Purity and now Crossroads the books that people have really I think been aware of”
Where to get it
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Freedom
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen is a sweeping contemporary novel that examines the complex dynamics of a modern American family alongside broader themes of political and environmental disillusionment.
Discussed“tried to review this new novel in the context of these big books from the corrections on the corrections Freedom Purity and now Crossroads the books that people have really I think been aware of”
Where to get it
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The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections is a sprawling, multi-generational novel that explores the complexities, dysfunction, and shifting fortunes of an American Midwestern family at the turn of the twenty-first century.
Discussed“and I think he first came to people's awareness most people's awareness about 20 years ago with the corrections and particularly because of his little dust up with Oprah Winfrey”
Where to get it
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Dewey defeats Truman
Discussed“that was the novel I wrote before Dewey defeats Truman which was set in the late 40s and I didn't have any living memory of the Truman years”
Where to get it
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Henry and Clara
Discussed“I actually found that to be the opposite If Only from a reader's point of view because the further you go back the less the reader knows as well as the writer knows and in some ways I found it easier to write about the Civil War in an old novel of mine called Henry and clar”
Where to get it
Books Thomas Mallon wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Mallon on the Career of Jonathan Franzen | The Book Review | 2021-10-15 | 11 |
| A Class in ‘Dreyer’s English’ | The Book Review | 2019-02-15 | 2 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“there was a book called Watergate set obvious ly during the Nixon years finale which was set during Reagan's time”
“there was a book called Watergate set obvious ly during the Nixon years finale which was set during Reagan's time”