Arguably the most famous dystopian novel to date, 1984 by George Orwell had us hooked from the start. In this episode we share our thoughts on this 1949 classic and talk about how much of the plot resonates with what is happening in today's world and how timeless this novel really is. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this novel - connect with us on Instagram @throughthepagespod and let us know your thoughts about it! 

For this week's Minisode we decided to share our go-to books and literary habits when the world feels heavy and anxiety spikes. These are by no means cures against anxiety, but we hope that maybe one or the other book recommendation can get you out of a negative and anxious headspace and help you take care of yourself in the overwhelming year, that is 2020. 

Books mentioned: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur, One Day by David Nicholls, Various works by Matt Haig, Thinking with Type by Elle Lupton, ,  The Anatomy of Story by John Truby, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.

This week we discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, published in 1937. 

We chat about its lyrical language, the racism its characters face, the story of a woman looking for love – and the birds and the bees!

Connect with us on Instagram @througthepagespod and let us know your thoughts about the book.

It's our first Beyond the Book episode (the segment in which we chat about anything that goes beyond the book/classic we read for our book discussion the same week)! 

This week we chat about the 1962 film adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial, starring Anthony Perkins (yes, the guy from Psycho) and directed by Orson Welles. How does it compare to the book? How well does the adaptation from a 1920s German book to the Hollywood big screen work? We have opinions! 

Give it a listen and let us know what you think on our Instagram @throughthepagespod. 

Written around 1914 and posthumously published in 1925, The Trial is a strange and absurd tale of a young man who arrested for a crime nobody ever learns what it is about - not even the reader! We discuss the dream-like nature of the novel, how frustrating the story gets and why we kind of understand how it has become a classic. This episode also includes a great bookish podcast recommendation that we are sure you will enjoy! 

For this week we delved into the strange and nonsensical world of Kafka's "The Trial". Written between 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously in 1925, this book tells the story of Josef K. who gets arrested for a crime nobody evers learns about - inlcuding the reader! Our discussion touches on the dream-like nature of the narrative as well as some problematic aspects within the character's agency. We can't wait to hear what you think of it!

We're introducing a new segment! Beyond the Book will be a short episode in which we'll chat about anything that goes beyond the book we're reading that same week! Often the story doesn't stop with the book itself – it continues in films and art and influences other writing. Consider this a "behind the scenes" of a book; an added snippet to our weekly discussions with the question "what happens before and after the book?"

Stay tuned on our Instagram @throughthepagespod! 

This week we read one of the American classics: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1850. Our first literary journey to the 19th century! That is not to say it was a smooth ride...

Prepare for rambles about pesky narrators, the concept of penitence, why this story might still be relevant today – and the ultimate question: can The Scarlet Letter be read as a feminist text?!

Have you read The Scarlet Letter? Let us know what you thought (and say hi!) via @throughthepagespod!

Since Tuesday featured our first non-English classic, we decided to dedicate this Minisode to our other non-English favourites! We talk about books we read in school, some of our favourite German and French literature and included our listeners' favourites, that they submitted on our instagram @throughthepagespod ! Thank you for sharing your favourite books with us!

This week's classic is our first non-English classic! Published in 1972 by Giulio Einaudi Editore, Invisible Cities is a story about storytelling with a very unusual structure, which made for a great discussion! A twist on the standard travel-literature genre, that in the end reveals more about the reader/listener than the storyteller.  Have you read any of Calvino's works before? Let us know what you thought via @throughthepagespod