Welcome to the conclusion of our conversation on Graham Greene’s novel. This week we’re answering your questions and topics include:

* The difference between a Catholic novel and a novel with Catholic characters

* Green’s personal faith and its influence on his writing

* The book’s depiction of religion and piety

* The conflict between the Catholic moral vision and modernity

* Humor, satire, and irony in Green’s narrative techniques

* The significance of Millie’s character and her faith

* The role of realism in literature and its effects on reader sympathy

* Green’s background as a journalist and diplomat influencing his fiction

* The concept of truth versus fiction in espionage and storytelling

* The importance of particular love and community over abstract ideals

Thanks so much for listening. Happy listening!

Don’t forget to check our CiRCE’s upcoming event: A World without Heroes.

Close Readers, I’m thrilled to present this very special episode on Beloved with Dr. Angel Adams Parham, a professor at the University of Virginia and the co-author of The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature. We chatted about the literary tradition at the heart of the book, Morrison’s aesthetic choices, the concept of re-memory and its significance in the story, its moral vision and the implications therein, teaching strategies for complex texts like this, and much more. Happy listening!

As we get to the end of Graham Greene’s novel it’s time to discuss such things as whether the book has a happy ending, who the villain of the book is, the spiritual underpinnings in the story (and Milly’s role therein), the madness Beatrice refers to in the final passage, and much more. Happy listening!

Welcome back to our series on Graham Green’s “Our Man in Havana!” This week we’re discussing Wormold and Beatrice’s relationship, the symbolism of masks and shadows, Greene’s commentary on bureaucracy and truth, the role of marriage and domestic life, and much more. As always, happy listening!

It’s time for a new series, this time on one of Sean’s very favorite authors, Graham Greene! So join in as we dig into the origins of this “elevated entertainment,” the way the book explores the plight of modern man, the important role of the protagonist’s daughter, the book’s treatment of espionage, and much more. Happy listening!

What makes The Odyssey difficult to adapt? Which parts of Homer’s story are most essential to include? In what ways does Christopher Nolan’s adaptation work (and not work)? Writer, teacher, and film-lover Joshua Gibbs joins the show to discuss in this special episode.

What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear.

As we come to the end of our reading of Beloved we dig into some listener questions. We talked about a variety of topics, including the book’s ending and some characters we haven’t covered in depth yet. And coming up in a few weeks we’ll have a very special guest on to discuss the book’s legacy. Thanks for joining us for this series!

This week we’re digging into the complicated way that Toni Morrison presents Sethe’s tragic choice here in the middle of the book and especially the psychological implications and ramifications—both character-wise and aesthetically. Plus: Paul D’s response and Beloved’s haunting. There's a lot to dig into here so join the conversation! Happy listening!

Welcome back to our series on Toni Morrison’s novel. In this episode we focus on Morrison’s engrossing prose, including the way she uses threaded metaphors and symbols, and how it enhances the pathos of the story. Plus, the trauma narrative and whether or not the novel is experimental. As always, happy listening!

Welcome to our new series on Toni Morrison’s modern classic! In this first episode, we dig into the book’s complicated narrative structure, Morrison’s use of POV, the feminine nature of the story and writing, whether it’s a novel of advocacy, and much more! Happy listening!