Close Reads

In which St. John is persistent, Jane hears her call, and Rochester is repentant. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they discuss the conclusion to Charlotte Bronte's novel! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First Jane is poor, then she is rich. And along the way it's all about the friends she makes. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they discuss compare St. John and Rochester, discuss Jane's continued evolution, and Charlotte Bronte's skill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which, well, Jane's dreams are dashed and we learn that Rochester isn't exactly what she thought. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they discuss Jane's virtue, Rochester's complicated nature (and situation), and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Jane is sad. Then surprised. Then relieved. Then spoken-for. Join David, Heidi, and Karen Swallow Prior as they discuss the famous proposal scene, Jane's assertion of self, Rochester weirdo-factor, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Jane falls in love, Rochester gets weird, and a mystery is introduced. Join David, Heidi, and Karen as they continue their conversation about Charlotte Bronte's classic novel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time to meet Rochester. In this episode, David, Heidi, and Karen (our very special guest) discuss the way Bronte introduces the Gothic hero of the story, the fascinating conversations that Broke and Jane share, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode, which was recorded live with our Patreon supporters, David, Heidi, and Tim chatted about the two most primary cinematic adaptations of Rebecca; Alfred Hitchcock's version from 1940 and the 2020 Netflix version. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David, Heidi, and very special guest Karen Swallow Prior as they discuss Helen Burns, Charlotte Bronte's strategy for naming characters, the confluence of Bronte's life and Jane's experiences, our introduction to Ye Olde Mansion, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our old friend Karen Swallow Prior is back to discuss one of the great book in Western literature, Charlotte Bronte's gothic novel, Jane Eyre. In this episode, she joins David and Heidi to discuss the context of his novel, its historical place, Jane's unique voice, Charlotte Bronte's life, and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's time to answer your questions about Rebecca. Opinions flowed freely, much debate was had. You know, it's a Close Reads episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which a court case takes over the podcast and your friendly neighborhood hosts take up rhetorical arms against each other. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The episode in which Tim is surprised. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's talk about un-named narrators and their problems, young women coming of age, old(er) women who are skeletal, and other things you find in Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we invited Patreon supporters to join us for a special live episode and here it is! Join David, Heidi, and Tim (and the live audience) for a discussion of the first seven chapters of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. Topics of conversation include the gothic nature of the novel, Du Maurier's unique writing style, and (as usual with mysteries of this sort) the question of who the antagonist is. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's answer your questions! Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they discuss such things as what the landscape means in the book, the seven deadly sins in the book, the role of the Prologue, and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which death finally does comes for the Archbishop, after all. Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they discuss Bishop Latour's life work, his relationship with Vaillant, and Cather success as a storyteller. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which an old woman prays in a church with the Bishop, vanity is tested, and we learn about the prequel years. Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they march on with Willa Cather. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they compare the four priests at the core of these sections, discuss the notion of subtly in the book, and talk a bit about colonialism (sort of). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which the hero gets attacked by an evil man called Scales, a priest gets thrown off a cliff, and the writing is still painfully lovely. Join David, Tim, and Heidi as they dive deepening into Willa Cather's classic novel (with a little digression into some history). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The whole gang is back together and it's time for a new book! Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig into Willa Cather's 1927 novel ,Death Comes for the Archbishop. In this episode they compare a few early passages, discuss the undulating rhythms of Cather's prose, and consider the episodic nature of the story. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.