Sean Johnson

1 week ago | closereads.substack.com | David Kern |Heidi White |Sean Johnson

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -55:01Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Welcome back to our series on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, in which we discuss his best novelistic skills, including his ability to deal in subtext while also creating mood. Plus: the way the book explores the dissonance between desire and reality, whether any of these characters have any interest in (or capacity to see) higher things, and much more.

1 week ago | closereads.substack.com | David Kern |Heidi White |Sean Johnson

And so we come to the end of Alessandro Manzoni’s classic novel. In this episode we discuss whether the book’s ending (especially the resolution to Lucia and Renzo’s relationship) is satisfying, the way Manzoni deals with Lucia’s vow, and what the book ultimately seems to have been concerned with. Happy listening! Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Close Reads Podcast HQ to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

2 weeks ago | closereads.substack.com | David Kern |Sean Johnson |Heidi White

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -1:05:36Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Welcome to a new series of episodes on another wonderful book. It’s our first re-read here on Close Reads and it’s timely, too, since The Great Gatsby just turned 100 years old! So join in as we discuss what’s made F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel last a century, what makes Nick Carraway a compelling narrator, the tragic longing at the nostalgic core of the story, and much more.

4 weeks ago | closereads.substack.com | David Kern |Heidi White |Sean Johnson

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Alessandro Manzoni’s classic Italian novel. This week we discuss Manzoni’s approach to presenting the historical context of the novel, and why he doesn’t present it as much through the doings of the characters.

1 month ago | closereads.substack.com | David Kern |Heidi White |Sean Johnson

Welcome back to our ongoing series on The Betrothed! This week we’re discussing Lucia’s vow, the nameless one’s conversion, and much more! Thanks for listening and thanks for the support! Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Close Reads Podcast HQ to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. These bonus episodes for those listeners to want to dig even deeper are primarily focused on longer novels.