Marlon and Jake explore the power of setting in novels—and why the best stories feel like they couldn’t have happened anywhere else. They discuss settings that become characters in their own right, fictional worlds they’d love (or absolutely hate) to inhabit, and books that made unexpected places fascinating. Plus: why a modern-day Captain Nemo might just be a tech bro.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: <a href="https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper</a>.
<ul>
 <li>Amerika by Franz Kafka</li>
 <li>Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson</li>
 <li>Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall</li>
 <li>Moby-Dick by Herman Melville</li>
 <li>Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian</li>
 <li>Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe</li>
 <li>The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson</li>
 <li>The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson</li>
 <li>We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson</li>
 <li>Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis</li>
 <li>Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor</li>
 <li>The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper</li>
 <li>Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse</li>
 <li>Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake</li>
 <li>Dubliners by James Joyce</li>
 <li>The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers</li>
 <li>Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë</li>
 <li>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré</li>
 <li>Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne</li>
 <li>Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne</li>
 <li>The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder</li>
 <li>One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez</li>
 <li>The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger</li>
 <li>From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg</li>
 <li>The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle</li>
 <li>The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss</li>
 <li>My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola</li>
 <li>The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien</li>
 <li>Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow</li>
 <li>A Room with a View by E. M. Forster</li>
 <li>Macbeth by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>Dune by Frank Herbert</li>
 <li>The Last Man by Mary Shelley</li>
 <li>Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder</li>
</ul>

Marlon and Jake explore the power of setting in novels—and why the best stories feel like they couldn’t have happened anywhere else. They discuss settings that become characters in their own right, fictional worlds they’d love (or absolutely hate) to inhabit, and books that made unexpected places fascinating. Plus: why a modern-day Captain Nemo might just be a tech bro. Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper. Amerika by Franz Kafka Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall Moby-Dick by Herman Melville Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake Dubliners by James Joyce The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow A Room with a View by E. M. Forster Macbeth by William Shakespeare Dune by Frank Herbert The Last Man by Mary Shelley Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Most Important Character Isn’t a Character

Marlon and Jake discuss the books they’d banish from school reading lists—not ban but give a well-earned time out. They consider why the Bible shouldn’t make the cut, why mythology deserves to expand beyond the Greeks and Romans, and what kinds of books actually resonate with high school readers. Plus: why being a great book doesn’t necessarily make something a great book to teach—and whether length should matter.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: <a href="https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper</a>
<ul>
 <li>Mythology by Edith Hamilton</li>
 <li>Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck</li>
 <li>The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck</li>
 <li>The Pearl by John Steinbeck</li>
 <li>“Who Am I This Time?” by Kurt Vonnegut</li>
 <li>King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard</li>
 <li>Benito Cereno by Herman Melville</li>
 <li>The Tempest by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>The Radiance of the King by Camara Laye</li>
 <li>The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald</li>
 <li>“The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges</li>
 <li>“The Aleph” by Jorge Luis Borges</li>
 <li>Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë</li>
 <li>The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis</li>
 <li>The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins</li>
 <li>The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins</li>
 <li>Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys</li>
 <li>Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton</li>
 <li>The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adams</li>
 <li>The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding</li>
 <li>The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton</li>
 <li>The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton</li>
 <li>The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>As You Like It by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>You Can’t Take It with You by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart</li>
 <li>A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry</li>
 <li>Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller</li>
 <li>Animal Farm by George Orwell</li>
 <li>1984 by George Orwell</li>
 <li>The Trial by Franz Kafka</li>
 <li>Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift</li>
 <li>The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss</li>
 <li>Brave New World by Aldous Huxley</li>
 <li>Look Back in Anger by John Osborne</li>
 <li>Butley by Simon Gray</li>
 <li>The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe</li>
 <li>Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis</li>
 <li>The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham</li>
</ul>

Marlon and Jake discuss the books they’d banish from school reading lists—not ban but give a well-earned time out. They consider why the Bible shouldn’t make the cut, why mythology deserves to expand beyond the Greeks and Romans, and what kinds of books actually resonate with high school readers. Plus: why being a great book doesn’t necessarily make something a great book to teach—and whether length should matter. Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper Mythology by Edith Hamilton Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Pearl by John Steinbeck “Who Am I This Time?” by Kurt Vonnegut King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard Benito Cereno by Herman Melville The Tempest by William Shakespeare The Radiance of the King by Camara Laye The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges “The Aleph” by Jorge Luis Borges Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adams The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare As You Like It by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare You Can’t Take It with You by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Animal Farm by George Orwell 1984 by George Orwell The Trial by Franz Kafka Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Look Back in Anger by John Osborne Butley by Simon Gray The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham

English Teachers, Look Away

In our last episode of the season, Marlon and Jake take on the worst books by the best authors—or at least, authors they usually love. They discuss why a journalist’s instincts can be both a gift and a curse when writing fiction, the importance of a great editor, writers who seem more interested in ideas than people, and novels that try so hard to be current they end up aging badly. Tune in for a conversation about literary misfires and wasted genius.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: <a href="https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper</a>
<ul>
 <li>The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches</li>
 <li>In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches </li>
 <li>The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion</li>
 <li>Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion</li>
 <li>The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe </li>
 <li>Orlando by Virginia Woolf</li>
 <li>Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel</li>
 <li>A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing</li>
 <li>The Golden Bowl by Henry James</li>
 <li>My Son’s Story by Nadine Gordimer</li>
 <li>Quicksand by Nella Larsen</li>
 <li>The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming</li>
 <li>The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth</li>
 <li>Hotel by Arthur Hailey</li>
 <li>Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins</li>
 <li>The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins</li>
 <li>Peyton Place by Grace Metalious</li>
 <li>Whirlwind by James Clavell</li>
 <li>Gai-Jin by James Clavell</li>
 <li>The Breast by Philip Roth</li>
 <li>Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth</li>
 <li>Humboldt’s Gift by Saul Bellow</li>
 <li>Mr. Sammler’s Planet by Saul Bellow</li>
 <li>A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré</li>
 <li>The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré</li>
 <li>A Perfect Spy by John le Carré</li>
 <li>The Continental Op by Dashiell Hammett</li>
 <li>The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye</li>
 <li>Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee</li>
 <li>Until August by Gabriel García Márquez</li>
 <li>Heartburn by Nora Ephron</li>
 <li>Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer </li>
 <li>The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer</li>
 <li>The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer</li>
 <li>India: A Wounded Civilization by V. S. Naipaul</li>
 <li>The Power Broker by Robert Caro</li>
 <li>Terrorist by John Updike</li>
</ul>

In our last episode of the season, Marlon and Jake take on the worst books by the best authors—or at least, authors they usually love. They discuss why a journalist’s instincts can be both a gift and a curse when writing fiction, the importance of a great editor, writers who seem more interested in ideas than people, and novels that try so hard to be current they end up aging badly. Tune in for a conversation about literary misfires and wasted genius. Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe Orlando by Virginia Woolf Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing The Golden Bowl by Henry James My Son’s Story by Nadine Gordimer Quicksand by Nella Larsen The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth Hotel by Arthur Hailey Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins Peyton Place by Grace Metalious Whirlwind by James Clavell Gai-Jin by James Clavell The Breast by Philip Roth Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth Humboldt’s Gift by Saul Bellow Mr. Sammler’s Planet by Saul Bellow A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré A Perfect Spy by John le Carré The Continental Op by Dashiell Hammett The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Until August by Gabriel García Márquez Heartburn by Nora Ephron Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer India: A Wounded Civilization by V. S. Naipaul The Power Broker by Robert Caro Terrorist by John Updike

In our last episode of the season, Marlon and Jake take on the worst books by the best authors—or at least, authors they usually love. They discuss why a journalist’s instincts can be both a gift and a curse when writing fiction, the importance of a great editor, writers who seem more interested in ideas than people, and novels that try so hard to be current they end up aging badly. Tune in for a conversation about literary misfires and wasted genius.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: <a href="https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper</a>
<ul>
 <li>The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches</li>
 <li>In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches&nbsp;</li>
 <li>The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion</li>
 <li>Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion</li>
 <li>The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Orlando by Virginia Woolf</li>
 <li>Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel</li>
 <li>A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing</li>
 <li>The Golden Bowl by Henry James</li>
 <li>My Son’s Story by Nadine Gordimer</li>
 <li>Quicksand by Nella Larsen</li>
 <li>The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming</li>
 <li>The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth</li>
 <li>Hotel by Arthur Hailey</li>
 <li>Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins</li>
 <li>The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins</li>
 <li>Peyton Place by Grace Metalious</li>
 <li>Whirlwind by James Clavell</li>
 <li>Gai-Jin by James Clavell</li>
 <li>The Breast by Philip Roth</li>
 <li>Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth</li>
 <li>Humboldt’s Gift by Saul Bellow</li>
 <li>Mr. Sammler’s Planet by Saul Bellow</li>
 <li>A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré</li>
 <li>The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré</li>
 <li>A Perfect Spy by John le Carré</li>
 <li>The Continental Op by Dashiell Hammett</li>
 <li>The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye</li>
 <li>Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee</li>
 <li>Until August by Gabriel García Márquez</li>
 <li>Heartburn by Nora Ephron</li>
 <li>Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer&nbsp;</li>
 <li>The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer</li>
 <li>The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer</li>
 <li>India: A Wounded Civilization by V. S. Naipaul</li>
 <li>The Power Broker by Robert Caro</li>
 <li>Terrorist by John Updike</li>
</ul>
 
 &nbsp;

The Literary Hall of Shame

Marlon and Jake explore why we're so eager to revisit the worlds of our favorite stories, asking whether great characters are better left where their authors left them—or if there's value in imagining what came before or after. Tune in as they unpack the appeal of sequels, the pitfalls of origin stories, and why some fictional worlds are more powerful when they remain a mystery.
Subscribe to our River-herd newsletter for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content. <a href="https://sites.prh.com/riverhead-reader-newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sites.prh.com/riverhead-reader-newsletter</a>
<ul>
 <li>A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes</li>
 <li>Lord of the Flies by William Golding</li>
 <li>Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë</li>
 <li>The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon</li>
 <li>Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis</li>
 <li>Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser</li>
 <li>Mansfield Park by Jane Austen</li>
 <li>To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee</li>
 <li>The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding</li>
 <li>The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare</li>
 <li>Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë</li>
 <li>Lost Horizon by James Hilton</li>
 <li>Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen</li>
 <li>Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier</li>
 <li>The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith</li>
 <li>Little Women by Louisa May Alcott</li>
 <li>Little Men by Louisa May Alcott</li>
 <li>David Copperfield by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett</li>
 <li>Catch-22 by Joseph Heller</li>
 <li>Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys</li>
 <li>A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams</li>
 <li>Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>Bleak House by Charles Dickens</li>
 <li>Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson</li>
 <li>Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson</li>
 <li>Big Blonde by Dorothy Parker</li>
 <li>The Tempest by William Shakespeare</li>
</ul>

Marlon and Jake explore why we're so eager to revisit the worlds of our favorite stories, asking whether great characters are better left where their authors left them—or if there's value in imagining what came before or after. Tune in as they unpack the appeal of sequels, the pitfalls of origin stories, and why some fictional worlds are more powerful when they remain a mystery. Subscribe to our River-herd newsletter for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content. https://sites.prh.com/riverhead-reader-newsletter A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes Lord of the Flies by William Golding Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser Mansfield Park by Jane Austen To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Lost Horizon by James Hilton Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Little Men by Louisa May Alcott David Copperfield by Charles Dickens The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Bleak House by Charles Dickens Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Big Blonde by Dorothy Parker The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Is Jane Eyre Okay?

Welcome back for a new season! Marlon and Jake catch up on what they’ve been reading, writing, and working on, including Marlon’s new novel, and explore the books they return to when it’s time to create. They discuss the stories that inspire rather than intimidate, the surprising value of giving up on a book, and the writers they revisit to clear the cobwebs from their minds. Tune in to hear how reading shapes their creative process, from finding the right voice to discovering what makes great dialogue.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper.
<ul>
 <li>“A Trifle from Life” by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway</li>
 <li>The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne</li>
 <li>War Music by Christopher Logue</li>
 <li>The Odyssey by Homer</li>
 <li>The Oresteia by Aeschylus</li>
 <li>Letters from a Stoic by Seneca</li>
 <li>Maurice by E. M. Forster</li>
 <li>Ernesto by Umberto Saba</li>
 <li>Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar</li>
 <li>New Hampshire by Robert Frost</li>
 <li>In Parenthesis by David Jones</li>
 <li>Civil War by Lucan</li>
</ul>

Welcome back for a new season! Marlon and Jake catch up on what they’ve been reading, writing, and working on, including Marlon’s new novel, and explore the books they return to when it’s time to create. They discuss the stories that inspire rather than intimidate, the surprising value of giving up on a book, and the writers they revisit to clear the cobwebs from their minds. Tune in to hear how reading shapes their creative process, from finding the right voice to discovering what makes great dialogue. Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper. “A Trifle from Life” by Anton Chekhov Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne War Music by Christopher Logue The Odyssey by Homer The Oresteia by Aeschylus Letters from a Stoic by Seneca Maurice by E. M. Forster Ernesto by Umberto Saba Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar New Hampshire by Robert Frost In Parenthesis by David Jones Civil War by Lucan

Welcome back for a new season! Marlon and Jake catch up on what they’ve been reading, writing, and working on, including Marlon’s new novel, and explore the books they return to when it’s time to create. They discuss the stories that inspire rather than intimidate, the surprising value of giving up on a book, and the writers they revisit to clear the cobwebs from their minds. Tune in to hear how reading shapes their creative process, from finding the right voice to discovering what makes great dialogue.
Subscribe to our River-herd digital newsletter and our print newspaper, The Eddy, for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content: https://sites.prh.com/the-eddy-newspaper.
<ul>
 <li>“A Trifle from Life” by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>Three Sisters&nbsp;by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov</li>
 <li>“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway</li>
 <li>The House at Pooh Corner&nbsp;by A. A. Milne</li>
 <li>War Music by Christopher Logue</li>
 <li>The Odyssey&nbsp;by Homer</li>
 <li>The Oresteia&nbsp;by Aeschylus</li>
 <li>Letters from a Stoic&nbsp;by Seneca</li>
 <li>Maurice by E. M. Forster</li>
 <li>Ernesto&nbsp;by Umberto Saba</li>
 <li>Memoirs of Hadrian&nbsp;by Marguerite Yourcenar</li>
 <li>New Hampshire&nbsp;by Robert Frost</li>
 <li>In Parenthesis by David Jones</li>
 <li>Civil War by Lucan</li>
</ul>

Clearing the Cobwebs

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Man Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books.
In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but, in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think—uncensored and with no holds barred. (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Man Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books. In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but, in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think—uncensored and with no holds barred. (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People Trailer

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books. In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think— uncensored and with no holds barred.  (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So, listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.

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Marlon and Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books. In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think— uncensored and with no holds barred. (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So, listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.

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