Season Three: Family

The Books of Some Substance Podcast's third season is underway! David and Nathan are here to announce the season's theme of family and introduce the lineup of books they'll be reading and discussing.

The season opens with '100 Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, followed by 'Light Years' by James Salter, 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 'The Obscene Bird of Night' by Jose Donoso, 'To the Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf, and concludes with 'Blinding' by Mircea Cărtărescu.

We invite listeners to read along, participate in discussions on their community page here on YouTube, and join live read-alongs to make the season more interactive.

00:00 Introduction to Season Three

00:13 Exploring '100 Years of Solitude'

01:00 Diving into 'Light Years'

01:41 Discussing 'The Brothers Karamazov'

02:48 Unpacking 'The Obscene Bird of Night'

05:12 Returning to Virginia Woolf with 'To the Lighthouse'

06:15 Wrapping Up with 'Blinding'

09:05 Interactive Reading and Community Engagement

10:58 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

In this episode, David and Nathan look back over season two, tracing the connections, marking the distinctions, and reframing their understanding/awareness of how control works in each and every book discussed this season.

Revisiting: The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector, Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee, Malina by Ingeborg Bachmann, The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, and Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller.

Enjoy. And please don't forget to give us a nice rating on Apple Podcasts, or leave a note on the YouTube channel. We appreciate you all. Happy Reading!

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In this episode, David and Nathan delve into Henry Miller's controversial and groundbreaking novel "Tropic of Cancer."

Published in 1934, this semi-autobiographical work was banned in the US and the UK upon its release due to its explicit content. Despite—and perhaps in part because of—its ban, "Tropic of Cancer" has endured as a provocative and essential piece of literature. 

Discussed on this episode, historical context (with a lot of help from George Orwell’s essay "Inside the Whale," which contextualizes the novel superbly), mysticism, narcissism, surrealism, c*cks and c*nts, general vulgarity, and authenticity. 

This episode serves as a comprehensive exploration of "Tropic of Cancer," addressing both its literary significance and the moral dilemmas it poses, making it a rich conversation for fans and critics of Henry Miller alike.

This episode serves as a comprehensive, though by no means exhaustive, exploration of "Tropic of Cancer” that we hope you enjoy.  

As always, please leave comments, reviews, and buy some books through the podcast’s website to support future episodes.

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Note: The photographs at the opening of the YouTube version of the episode come from Henry Miller’s personal friend Brassaï (Gyula Halász), a 20th century Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, filmmaker, and writer (even a book on Miller’s Paris Years).

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Links:

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Come explore existential despair, the hell of isolation, and the mad dash into oblivion with Nathan and David.

On this episode, your hosts have an in-depth discussion on Paul Bowles' 1949 novel The Sheltering Sky - a novel of stark prose and philosophical depth that follows Port and Kit Moresby, an American couple traveling in post-WWII North Africa.

Nathan and David delve into the themes of finiteness, the pursuit of oblivion, selfishness, and the differences between a tourist and a traveler, all set against the sublime and terrifying beauty of the Sahara desert.

Listen along and tell us what you think of Bowles' masterpiece and its dark, captivating narrative.

Welcome to our episode on the novel Malina by Ingeborg Bachmann. David and Nathan wind their conversation through the disorienting pages of this incredible novel.

We explore its unique form and style, ponder its structure, and discuss how these creative decisions add to the overarching sense of strangeness and mystery that permeates the narrative. In this episode, we contemplate and ponder:

• Is Malina even real? Or perhaps he’s pure animus overtaking the unknown woman’s self?
• What is it that makes Ivan so desirable? 
• What is happening with the phone conversations?
• Does Bachmann’s views on art and logical positivism affect the interpretation of the novel?
• What’s the deal with airplane peanuts?

Join us for this where we try to unravel parts of this mesmerizing novel.

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Books of Some Substance:

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Ingeborg Bachmann (1926–1973) was an Austrian poet and novelist, acclaimed for her profound exploration of existential themes and innovative literary style. Born in Klagenfurt, Austria, Bachmann experienced the tumultuous events of World War II firsthand, which profoundly influenced her writing. She studied philosophy, psychology, and German literature at the universities of Innsbruck, Graz, and Vienna. Bachmann's early poetry collections, such as "Die gestundete Zeit" (The Deferred Time), established her as a leading voice in post-war German literature. However, it was her groundbreaking novel "Malina" that solidified her reputation as a literary icon. Bachmann's works often grapple with themes of identity, trauma, and the search for meaning in a fractured world. Despite her tragically premature death in 1973, her legacy endures, with her writings continuing to inspire readers and writers alike with their depth, complexity, and enduring relevance.

Nathan and David continue their exploration of control with Waiting for Barbarians, a 1980 novel by South African writer J.M. Coetzee. Empire! Torture! Manipulation! Control! Quite the book, and quite the episode.

Our second episode on Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, and again David is joined by Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List. Seth is here to nimbly unravel some of the meaning of this insane and insanely good novel, and he does an excellent job. But no matter what they tend to get lost along the way, as any analysis of the book will be "not a disentanglement from, but a progressive knotting into."

Join them as they knot into the brennschluss point, the inciting incident of what's happening with Slothrop's c*ck, fragmentation of self at at the force of control, the Raketen-Stadt as antagonist, and if there is any sense of hope by the end of the book.

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Books of Some Substance is on Twitter, Instagram, and our brand-new website. 

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Seth is a non-authoritative devotee of anything and everything related to Thomas Pynchon and all varieties of difficult and demanding literature. You can find him on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and Substack.

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Gravity's Rainbow is a groundbreaking novel by acclaimed author Thomas Pynchon. It stands as a masterpiece of postmodern literature, captivating readers with its intricate plot, rich symbolism, and thought-provoking themes. This iconic work delves into the complexities of World War II, war profiteering, corporate scheming, human nature, reflexes, mind control, State control, scientific advancements of the time, and science fiction. The novel offers a unique blend of historical fiction, science fiction, and satire. With its enigmatic characters and labyrinthine narrative, Gravity's Rainbow has become a literary classic, drawing scholars and enthusiasts seeking a challenging and intellectually stimulating reading experience. A world of paranoia, conspiracy, and intricate storytelling, Gravity's Rainbow remains an enduring and influential work in the canon of modern literature. 

In our first of two episodes on Thomas Pynchon's 1973 masterpiece Gravity's Rainbow, David is joined, once again, by Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List to talk about one of his favorite ways to approach the novel. 

Seth brings an invaluable depth of knowledge and research to this episode, examining the novel as being primarily about America in the "long 60s," albeit taking place in Europe in the 1940s. They also discuss Pynchon's work at Boeing being a catalyst for his fascination with the V-2, his writing on race relations in "A Journey into the Mind of Watts," and general advice for reading the book for the first, second, or even third time.  

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Books of Some Substance is on Twitter, Instagram, and our brand-new website. 

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Seth is a non-authoritative devotee of anything and everything related to Thomas Pynchon and all varieties of difficult and demanding literature. You can find him on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and Substack.

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Gravity's Rainbow is a groundbreaking novel by acclaimed author Thomas Pynchon. It stands as a masterpiece of postmodern literature, captivating readers with its intricate plot, rich symbolism, and thought-provoking themes. This iconic work delves into the complexities of World War II, war profiteering, corporate scheming, human nature, reflexes, mind control, State control, scientific advancements of the time, and science fiction. The novel offers a unique blend of historical fiction, science fiction, and satire. With its enigmatic characters and labyrinthine narrative, Gravity's Rainbow has become a literary classic, drawing scholars and enthusiasts seeking a challenging and intellectually stimulating reading experience. A world of paranoia, conspiracy, and intricate storytelling, Gravity's Rainbow remains an enduring and influential work in the canon of modern literature. 

Welcome all and sundry to the first episode of Season 2: Control. 

Join us, David and Nathan, as we start this new season dancing to the beautifully strange rhythms of Clarice Lispector's The Hour of the Star.

In between quoting and praising this novella, we discuss narrative techniques, metaphysical implications, symbolic deaths, co-existing interpretations, and a fall from grace. 

Listen in, tag us online to discuss the book, and call in to share your thoughts: (331) BOSS-BOT / (331) 267-7268.

Nothing lasts, but a good book lasts longer. 

Find us online: 

https://www.booksofsomesubstance.com/

https://twitter.com/BooksOSubstance

 https://www.instagram.com/booksosubstance/

With the 100th episode behind us, and with Nick off exploring the world of dance music, David and Nathan have decided to try some new things. We're going into video (as you can see). We're going seasonal. And we will have a new website, logo, slogan, and much more coming soon. Each new episode will come out on the first Wednesday of every month.

 Season 2 - CONTROL

Nov. 1 - THE HOUR OF THE STAR by Clarice Lispector

Dec. 6 - GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon (part 1: an approach to the novel with Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)

Jan. 3 - GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon (part 2: understanding elements of the novel with Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)

Feb. 7 - WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS by J.M. Coetzee

Mar. 6 - MALINA by Ingeborg Bachmann

Apr. 3 - THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles

May 1 - TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller