Close Reads

And so we come to the end. Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig (no pun intended) into the fiery (pun intended) ending to this classic book. Where do the book's sympathies lie in the end? Why did Darl go mad? Who is trustworthy? These and many other questions get discussed. Happy listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David and Heidi as they dig in to Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation of Death on the Nile. Is the movie in on the joke? Why is there no sand? What's up with Gal Gadot? Why do mustaches need back stories? These and many other questions get contemplated. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which David, Heidi, and Tim discuss river crossings, which characters the books seems to have the most sympathy for, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig ever deeper into Faulkner's novel. Topics of conversation include mothers who are fish, mothers who are horses, buzzards, and Heidi's great delight in this book. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig into the first quarter of William Faulkner's infamous (and mildly inscrutable) novel, As I Lay Dying. Topics of conversation include tops for reading Faulkner, the various points-of-view that tell the story, what happens at the outset, and much more. This episode is brought to you be BiblioFiles. Learn more at centerforlit.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time to answer your questions about Death on the Nile, but first Tim has to answer a question from us. Then we discuss topics like movie casting, Christie's impact, Poirot's sense of justice, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which we discuss Poirot's decision, Christie's puzzle-making, and Tim is insufferable (and gets muted for it). And much more, of course. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Tim predicts the ending of another mystery novel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time for a new book! It's time for the Queen of Crime. It's time for Hercule Poirot. It's time for some international intrigue. It's time for Death on the Nile! This week we talk about what makes Christie so good (and enduring), her approach to introducing characters in this book, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time for an annual tradition! On this week's episode we're talking about our favorite reads of 2021. We each used different criteria in creating the lists you will hear here, but its a great peek into our reading lives this year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time to answer your questions about A Confederacy of Dunces! Join the David, Heidi, and Tim as they discuss characters like Jones and Levy, books similar to Dunces, and much more -- plus, naturally, some Christmas chatter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Once more we've come to the end of another book's road. So join David, Tim, and Heidi as they unpack the wild and wacky and strange ending of A Confederacy of Dunces. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is the purpose of all of Ignatius' grossness? Does it have anything to do with the four humors in medieval thought? What does Ignatius actually? Close Reads considers these questions on this week's show. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here we are, deep inside of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces, and this week conversation touches (once again) on Ignatius' intelligence, but then moves on to the various secondary characters that people this strange book, as well as talk about Boethius. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they continue to discuss Ignatius J. Reilly and his "worldview," including some discussion about why he has to be quite so gross. Also: what's the deal with all the geometry talk? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Confederacy of Dunces is one of the more strange books we have ever done on this show, but over the next several weeks David, Heidi, and Tim are going to do their best to explain what makes it a worthwhile work of literature. This week they discuss the book's sad origin story, its medieval influences, its comedic core, and its outrageous protagonist. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As usual, you asked great questions and we did our best to answer! Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they conclude their discussion of A GATHERING OF OLD MEN. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Was justice met in the end? Why does the story end with Lou Dimes' perspective? Is the ending satisfying? Is it happy? These and other questions were address on this week's episode. Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dive into the final pages of A Gathering of Old Men. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week David, Tim, and Heidi discuss which characters are most villainous in Ernest Gaines' novel, and dig in to the narrative and dramatic effect of leaving the gathering of old men right in the middle of the story. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're discussing the introduction of the white characters to the story, whether the sheriff is a good or bad guy, and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.