we’ve got a new release bonus episode coming at you today as we take on the novel devil house by john darnielle. we talk about darnielle’s place in shape and form of our podcast (as well as how his books are of a type), as well as how devil house asks for an uncommon type of empathy. we examine the novel as a takedown of true crime (and rubbernecking?), wonder who the “real” victims are in true crime cases, and explore our collective need for narrative closure. we take true crime filmmakers to task for being irresponsible. joey re-establishes himself as someone who gets everything wrong about nerds.
reading list for season two
the bell jar by sylvia plath, 11/4
prep by curtis sittenfeld, 11/18
the art of fielding by chad harbach, 12/2
nickel boys by colson whitehead, 12/16
the virgins by pamela erens, 12/30
my education by susan choi, 1/13
giles goat-boy by john barth, 1/27
end zone by don delillo, 2/10
loner by teddy wayne, 2/24
the secret history by donna tartt, 3/10
sweet days of discipline by fleur jaeggy, 3/24
college novel by blake middleton, 4/7
real life by brandon taylor, 4/21
the instructions by adam levin, 5/5
the idiot by elif batuman, 5/19