Today, Chelsey and Sara are discussing the new Netflix film adaptation of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson, Cormo Jarvis, and Henry Golding. We lament the anachronistic language, mull over the casting, and consider the obvious influences of Fleabag, Bridgerton, and Schitt’s Creek, all while attempting to figure out just what this movie had to say about Jane Austen’s most romantic novel. Additionally, we talk about the Austen adaptations we wish we had and which supporting cast members saved the movie for us.

This episode is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. Join us this month for all things Shakespeare, including a class on deciphering difficult texts, a live book club discussion of Macbeth, and a Macbeth movie watchalong. In joining our Patreon community, you also get access to weekly bonus episodes along with the archive of all previous bonus content. Your Patreon support keeps our podcast afloat and allows us to keep creating the coziest corner of the bookish internet. Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.

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Turning Persuasion into Fleabag was a truly terrible idea

Persuasion review: The Netflix film is an absolute disaster

Persuasion review: The present intrudes into the past

Brandon Taylor’s review: persuasion is a hate crime

 

Welcome to Shakespeare 101! It’s a perfectly fitting episode number for today as we invite a Shakespeare professor to answer YOUR questions about the Bard’s staying power, how to read his works, and how to interpret Lady Macbeth. We always say we won’t get TOO academic here, but we’re getting pretty academic thanks to Chelsey’s former Shakespeare professor.

Professor Doug Green taught at Augsburg University, including Shakespeare and Renaissance literature, writing, drama, and film. He also helped develop and taught Augsburg’s first course in queer studies. He has an abundance of knowledge and advice to share with us as we read Macbeth together this month, so jump in and travel back to the college classroom with us today. 

 

Books, authors, and resources mentioned:

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Samson Agonistes by John Milton

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan 

The Bacchae of Euripedes 

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Ben Jonson

Beaumont & Fletcher

John Dryden

Alexander Pope

Theater Mu

Penumbra Theater

Ovid

Plutarch

Holinshed’s Chronicles

Chaucer

The Guthrie Theater

Classical Actor’s Ensemble

10,000 Things

Barbarian

Tony Kushner 

Colson Whitehead

James McBride

Toni Morrison

Louise Erdrich

Margaret Atwood

Robert Frost

Mary Oliver

Lucille Clifton

Ross Gay

Richard Blanco

Elizabeth Alexander

 

Shakespeare Supplements:

The Oxford English Dictionary

Folio Facsimile

The Folger Library

MIT Global Shakespeare

Norton Shakespeare

 

Macbeth on Film:

Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021, stream on Apple TV)

Polanski’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (1970, stream on Amazon Prime)

Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957, stream on HBO Max or Amazon Prime)

Find Doug’s work: Jumping the Median with Doug Green

It’s our 100th episode, readers! Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming along with us on this nerdy creative endeavor. We are immensely grateful for those of you who listen to the podcast, share it with friends, and support us on Patreon. 

Today, we are talking about Persuasion by Jane Austen, often described as Austen’s most autumnal work. Persuasion is a deeply romantic novel about longing, loss, and found family. We discuss Anne as an Austen heroine, and Wentworth as her perfect match. We discuss coming of age, family strains, and other exceedingly modern themes. Finally, of course we could not stop ourselves from diving into the theme of the season: adaptation, and why we think there is a resurgence of interest in this story right now. 

Pairings

Chelsey:

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

Sara:

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt

Other Links

Oxford classes 

Cynthia Erivo narration of Persuasion on Spotify

1. Backlist coming of age novels for book clubs and beach reads

Coming Up

October: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

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Welcome to fall, readers! Today, Sara & Chelsey dive into all things adaptations: why we enjoy them, when they fall short, and how adaptations fit into literary and pop culture conversations. We discuss how literature thrives on adaptations, and Sara shares some salty opinions. Subscribe to our newsletter for more resources on adaptations and the topics we covered in this episode.

Books Mentioned

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald) 

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Chelsey:

Epically Earnest by Molly Horan (The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde)

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells) 

Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese (Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne (Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne) 

Marmee by Sarah Miller (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) 

Sara

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe) 

Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra (Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald) 

Ithaca by Claire North (The Odyssey by Homer) 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens) 

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Coming Up

 

September: Persuasion by Jane Austen

October: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. This novel surprised us in the best ways, and we loved reading along with you all summer. Tune in to hear us talk about the fantastic characters and McMurtry’s narrative style in this sweeping tome, drawing surprising similarities with Jane Austen. This novel touches on themes of love, family, masculinity, and so much more. If you’re looking for a fantastic book club selection with more to discuss than could possibly fit in an hour, consider this novel along with some of our pairings.  This episode is mostly spoiler free, with warnings included before we share important plot details.

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Books Mentioned 

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you! 

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 

Listen to our pairings: [56:15]

Chelsey:

• Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke 
• Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann
• Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Sara: 

• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
• The Sun by Philipp Meyer 
• The River by Peter Heller
• A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza 

Pick of the Week:

Chelsey: The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Sara: The Watch: Lonesome Dove

Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay. We discuss the classic nature of this novel along with some of its modern elements, as well as our own personal impressions and individual reading experiences of the book. This Harlem Renaissance novel explores themes that pushed the boundaries of its time: disability, the physical body, race, migration, post-colonialism, Marxism, economics. If you’re looking for a short classic novel that covers many modern ideas, consider this one alongside some of our pairings.   

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Books Mentioned 

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you! 

 

Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay (Penguin Classics) 

 

Listen to our pairings: [41:05]

 

Chelsey: 

• At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop 
• A Country for Dying by Abdellah Taïa

 

Sara: 

• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
• You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi 

 

Also Mentioned: 

The Best New Novel Was Written 90 Years Ago by Molly Young (Vulture) 

A Book So Far Ahead of Its Time, It took 87 Years to Find A Publisher by Tayla Zax (NYTimes)

It’s that time of year, readers! Pull out your favorite book tote and get thee to pre-ordering (or library requesting) because we’ve got an episode full of our most anticipated reads for summer 2022. Since we can’t help ourselves, we’ve paired each buzzy new title with a backlist pick. We’re also talking about summer reading hopes (not goals), our favorite summertime genres, and what’s happening in Classics Club this season. 

If you’re enjoying our content, please write a review on Apple Podcasts, share an episode with a friend, or shout us out on social media. Growing this show is only possible because of our lovely listeners. Thank you!

A Special thank you to The Lost City for sponsoring this episode.

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Books mentioned (thanks for supporting us by shopping our Bookshop affiliate links!):

May

5/3 The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

• Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, Sense & Second Degree Murder

5/3 When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

• Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister

5/17 We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu

• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

5/17 Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces by Elamin Abdelmahmoud

• Piccolo is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture by Jordan Calhoun

5/24 Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 

5/31 Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith

• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, Half Light 

June

6/7 Woman of Light by Kali Farjado-Anstine

• A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

6/7 Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang

• Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

6/14 Horse by Geraldine Brooks

• The Son by Philip Meyer

6/28 American Royalty by Tracey Livesay

• The Royal We, Red, White & Royal Blue, or American Royals
• Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay

July

7/5 Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

• Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link

7/5 Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

• There, There by Tommy Orange, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

7/12 The Crane Wife by C.J. Hauser

• The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

7/12 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevinn

• The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

7/19 Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Today Sara and Chelsey discuss Jane Austen’s silly, ridiculous, and absolutely delightful work of juvenilia: Love and Freindship. From fainting spells to the history of parody, this episode is full of nerdy information and fun Austen context. If you’re looking to lighten up your reading life with irreverent novels and humorous romance, today’s pairings are for you, regardless of whether you’ve picked up Love and Freindship. 

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Books mentioned: Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

Chelsey:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortburg

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

Sara:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbetson

Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

How did Sara and Chelsey meet? What goes into making a Novel Pairings episode? And how do they find time to read with busy, curious babies in their lives? Today’s episode holds all the answers to YOUR questions about classic literature, teaching English, baby bookworms, reading habits, and more. (Plus plenty of book recommendations. We can’t help it.) The show notes are full of links today, so be sure to scroll down in your app or visit novelpairings.com.

 

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

 

Books Mentioned:

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Episode: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Episode: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

Episode: The Odyssey by Homer

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Aubrey Niffenegger

Episode: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Episode: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Circe by Madeline Miller

Episode: Passing by Nella Larsen

Episode: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Episode: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Episode: Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Houghton

Let’s Look at Animals by Marion Deuchars

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young

The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi

Episode: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Episode: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Episode: Emma by Jane Austen

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

 

Also Mentioned:

@fictionmatters

@chelseyreads

He Read She Read Podcast

The Novel Pairings Ultimate Spreadsheet

Sandra Boynton: Frog Trouble Album

Raising Readers with Anne Bogel

The Sleepy Bookshelf Podcast

@clumsy.words

 

Don’t forget to:

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Today Sara and Chelsey consider Middlemarch by George Eliot through a contemporary lens with paired books about marriage, community, and time-tested advice. You don’t need to read Middlemarch to put a book recommendation in your pocket today, so enjoy this unique collection of titles and a spoiler-free conversation.   

We’re recording an Ask Us Anything episode! Submit your questions to [email protected], DM us on Instagram, or stay tuned for a question box in our Instagram stories. 

Need more Jane Austen in your life? Of course you do. Check out Live from Pemberley, from the creators and hosts of Hot & Bothered. 

• Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
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Books mentioned:Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Wahala by Nikki May