the fact that we’ve been building to ducks, newburyport by lucy ellmann all season long, the fact that it’s more than 1,000 pages long, the fact that this is the end of this poor imitation of the book’s writing style. this episode, we’re talking about the longest book we’re covering in our first season — ducks, newburyport — and how it encompasses nearly every facet of modern life. we discuss the meaning of the cougar, whether or not the ending feels too much “like a novel,” and what the book’s form and style contribute to its meaning. bob talks about the o.c. a lot and the honorable judge matt erdely comes to judge a book by its cover — and hand down his first official ruling.
reading list for season one
death in her hands by ottessa moshfegh, 6/3
pizza girl by jean kyoung frazier, 6/17
you shall know our velocity by dave eggers, 7/1
memories of my father watching tv by curtis white, 7/15
a prayer for owen meany by john irving, 7/29
colorless tsukuru tazaki by haruki murakami, 8/12
any man by amber tamblyn, 8/26
ducks, newburyport by lucy ellmann, 9/9
open city by teju cole, 9/23
never let me go by kazuo ishiguro, 10/7