CanonBallz Podcast

Ben and Gemma are back, joined by special guest Lauryn McCarter. This week, they try to figure out which PRIDE AND PREJUDICE character would be the best wingperson (it's Mrs. Bennet, come on), and compare Mr. Collins to one of your least favorite NYT columnists. They also praise romantic relationships with real growth, and eviscerate some terrible adaptations of the novel. 

Ben and Gemma welcome special guest Lauryn McCarter to discuss the classic of all classics -- PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Sure, it may start with the most famous first line in literature (and maybe even about marriage?) but is getting hitched really so great? And on the scale of mild trash to just the worst, how awful is Caroline Bingley?

Ben and Gemma finish LOLITA, and wonder if Nabakov's assertion that the novel only exists for aesthetic value can ever really be true. Is it really trying to indict all relationships between men and women, or is it, as Nabakov says, just a way to dip into an experience that should never really exist outside of fiction. Yeah, you guessed it -- this one's a little light on jokes.

Ben and Gemma begin LOLITA this week, diving headfirst into the best-known novel about a creepy vaguely European guy and his extremely upsetting obsession with young girls. Is Humbert Humbert a textbook sociopath, or is there more to him? Does it matter that "Humbert" is a good writer, and does that make us sympathize with him more?

Be warned -- content not appropriate for children is discussed in this episode.

There's no new book this week due to the winter holidays. But there is a mini-episode where Ben and Gemma share the five best books they read in 2017. Let us know what your favorite books of the year were, too!

Ben, Gemma, and special guest Hillary Rich dissect THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, Mark Twain's second-best identity swap novel. They enjoy Twain clowning on the monarchy, but wonder if he meant to write a serious examination of class or just some weird Tudor fanfiction.

Ben, Gemma, and Kirin finish up ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by trying to figure out if Gilbert is actually a decent guy. Ben pitches a contemporary high school reboot starring Josie Pye as Gossip Girl (it gets weird), and Kirin reminds us how the series teaches us to be empathetic and kind.

Gemma and Ben are joined this week by Kirin McCrory, who reminds them that L.M. Montgomery's classic novel is really all about learning empathy. But that doesn't really stop them from making fun of Josie Pye (who deserves it). They also choose their favorite Anne Shirley adventures, and pitch some Anne-fics that should probably never leave the dark side of the internet.

It's the final episode of BLEAK HOUSE! Gemma and the Bens wonder if Mr. Bucket is a good or a bad person, and if John Jarndyce is God or just an old creeper. They also decide that Esther is actually a bummer, and Gemma pitches a sprawling fanfic about Mrs. Bucket, private eye.

Next week: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

We're nearly at the end of Bleak House now. In this episode, Gemma and the Bens have a lot of WTF questions about Dickens' mental state. They also want to know who shot Tulkinghorn through the heart, and why Jarndyce thought it was a good idea to propose to a woman he has known since she was a child. Are all Dickensian men are either creeps or dead? Almost certainly.