Joseph O’Neill published a beautiful novel “Netherland” in 2008 which was rapidly applauded for capturing the zeitgeist of a post-9/11 world, not in a figurative or literal way, but, as its title suggests, in an ethereal, otherworldly way. It is an excellent novel which, if you haven’t read yet, I strongly suggest adding to your reading list. 

In 2014, Joseph O’Neill followed up with an equally absorbing, if somewhat funnier novel, called “The Dog” about a lawyer who accepts an almost comically servile job as an “advisor?” to an ultra-wealthy Lebanese family based in Dubai. To me, that novel is a pioneer of the genre of story-telling around issues of great wealth and social inequality. This is the book that launched a thousand movies & shows like “Succession”, “Triangle of Sadness” or “Parasite”. 

Joseph O’Neill shared so much with me in this episode about his background, his process, his inspirations and overall we had a really great chat. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did.

Books mentioned in the episode:

Favourite book I’ve never heard of: U & I by Nicholson Baker

Favourite book of the last 12 months: Radius, by Yasmine El-Riffae

The book that he would take to a desert island: The Complete Works of Shakespeare with scholarly annotations

The book that changed his mind: Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

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