<![CDATA[Close Reads Podcast HQ : Close Reads Podcast]]>https://closereads.substack.com/s/close-readshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Kh1g!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F691c76cd-11ba-4492-ad88-30975107db28_256x256.pngClose Reads Podcast HQ : Close Reads Podcasthttps://closereads.substack.com/s/close-readsSubstackSat, 09 May 2026 11:35:35 GMT<![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath Q&A Episode]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-q-and-a-episodehttps://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-q-and-a-episodeWed, 06 May 2026 19:17:11 GMTYou have questions, we did our best to answer them. Thanks for tuning in to this series on Steinbeck’s classic novel and happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: To the End ]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-to-the-endhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-to-the-endTue, 28 Apr 2026 03:03:16 GMTSo about that ending . . . We discuss (from a variety of angles). Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapter 26 ]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapter-26https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapter-26Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:17:16 GMTThis week’s episode is dedicated entirely to the lengthy chapter 26 so we have a chance to discuss poor Casy’s complicated arc and the Christ-like allusion in his demise and whether the novel present’s Tom’s killing of Casy’s murderer as justified (and what justice is in this story). Plus we hear from a few listeners and much more. As always, happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 22-25]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-22-25https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-22-25Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:35:22 GMTIs ma emerging as Steinbeck’s new protagonist? Does the “grapes of wrath” chapter work? And what of the book’s evolving view of religion? We discuss these and several topics on this week’s episode. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[Short Story Hour: "Leaf by Niggle" by J. R. R. Tolkien (FREE PREVIEW) ]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/short-story-hour-leaf-by-niggle-byhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/short-story-hour-leaf-by-niggle-byFri, 10 Apr 2026 15:22:16 GMTWelcome to another episode of our new series on classic short stories! This month, it’s Tolkien’s beloved story about creativity, hope, and the finitude of life. It’s also a little bit about Dante and Virgil, maybe a bit auto-biographical, and the perfect story to discuss during the Easter season. We discuss. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 19-21]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-19-21https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-19-21Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:02:07 GMTDoes Casy redeem himself with his heroic action? Does this this book live too much in the realm of artifice? Does this book, like East of Eden, feature the idea of timshel and in what ways is his view of human nature different in this novel. Also: Tom as microcosm. These and many other topics are on this episode’s rundown. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 15-18]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-15-18https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-15-18Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:56:59 GMTIs Steinbeck an American Dickens? Does this book have a villain/antagonist? What role do each of the tertiary characters play? And does Steinbeck take his particular use of symbolism too far? These are the sort of questions we’re discussing on this week’s show! Thanks for joining the conversation and happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 8-14]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-8-14https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-8-14Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:49:38 GMTIt’s time to really discuss it: Do Steinbeck’s interstitial, alternating chapters work? We dig in—with differences of opinion. Plus we discuss the dramatic chapter 13, think about when Steinbeck’s use of symbolism works best, and chat about the 2026 Close Reads literary bracket (with a little help from an unusual friend). Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 1-7]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-1-7https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-grapes-of-wrath-chapters-1-7Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:24:59 GMTWelcome to the beginning of a new series as we dive into John Steinbeck’s classic novel. In this episode we discuss Steinbeck’s unique use of alternating chapters, his desire to make a political statement, the intensity of his prose, which characters we are supposed to sympathize with, and turtles. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[This Is Happiness: Q&A Episode]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-q-and-a-episodehttps://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-q-and-a-episodeThu, 12 Mar 2026 00:51:56 GMTWelcome to the conclusion of our series on Niall William’s novel, as we do our best to answer your questions!

]]><![CDATA[This Is Happiness: To the End]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-to-the-endhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-to-the-endTue, 03 Mar 2026 14:58:18 GMTWelcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel! This we discuss whether the novel has a “happy” ending, its final verdict on what happiness is, Williams’ subtle use of symbolism, Noe’s vocation, and much more.

]]><![CDATA[This Is Happiness: Chapters 23-31 ]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-23-31https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-23-31Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:29:52 GMTWelcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel, This Is Happiness. This week we discuss some audience comments, the book’s examination of the relationship between poetics and rhetoric, the difference between nostalgia and sentimentality, look at the way Noe and Christy are merging as the story goes on, and much more. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[This Is Happiness: Chapters 12-22]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-12-22https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-12-22Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:38:06 GMTWelcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ lovely novel. This week we discuss what this book has to say about happiness, the themes of hope and cynicism, Christy the romantic, coming of age, and our favorite passages in these chapters. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!

To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order now.

]]><![CDATA[This Is Happiness: Chapters 1-11]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-1-11https://closereads.substack.com/p/this-is-happiness-chapters-1-11Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:11:56 GMTWelcome to the start of a new series! Over the next several weeks we’ll be digging into Irish writer, Niall Williams pastoral novel, This Is Happiness. This week we’re discussing the proverbial nature of the narrator, the memory novel framing of the story, the way the place comes alive throughout the book, and much, much more. As always, happy listening!

To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order now.

]]><![CDATA[The Age of Innocence: Q&A Episode]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-q-and-a-episodehttps://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-q-and-a-episodeTue, 03 Feb 2026 14:44:59 GMTAs always, we conclude our series on Edith Wharton’s classic novel by answering your questions. There were a lot of good ones and we did our best to answer as many as we could. Sometimes, of course, you just have to look at it. Happy listening!

To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order now.

]]><![CDATA[The Age of Innocence: To the End]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-to-the-endhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-to-the-endTue, 27 Jan 2026 15:29:09 GMTWelcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s very complex (and wonderful) novel. This week, in discussing the ending, we find ourselves at, well, a loss for words. Nevertheless, we persist. We attempt to reckon with the complicated nature of May’s character, Newland’s fatalism and paralyzed life of the mind, the question of whether he’s a tragic character, how we may or may not re-think the countess in light of the ending, and much more! As always, happy listening!

To learn about The Tapestry curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here!

]]><![CDATA[Age of Innocence: Chapters 19-25]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/age-of-innocence-chapters-19-25https://closereads.substack.com/p/age-of-innocence-chapters-19-25Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:36:04 GMTWelcome back to our ongoing series about The Age of Innocence! This week we’re discussing when a thought becomes a sin in this book, whether there’s enough substance in Newland for a woman like Ellen to fall in love with him, Newland’s obsession with fate (even if he has manufacture some), Ellen as representative of European culture for Newland, and much, much more. Happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[The Age of Innocence: Chapters 10-18]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-chapters-10https://closereads.substack.com/p/the-age-of-innocence-chapters-10Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:20:07 GMTWelcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s excellent novel. This week we talk about the way the two main female characters have emerged, how we respond to Newland’s dilemma, the moral conditions of the novel’s world, and much more. Happy listening!

To learn about The Tapestry curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here!

]]><![CDATA[Age of Innocence: Chapters I-IX]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/age-of-innocence-chapters-i-ixhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/age-of-innocence-chapters-i-ixTue, 06 Jan 2026 03:48:34 GMTWelcome to our first series of the new year, as we jump into Edith Wharton’s novel of the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence. This we discuss the way Wharton uses Newland Archer’s unique point-of-view, the nature of the Countess’ role in the story (and in Newland’s life), the book’s contemplation of the changing society, and much much more. As always, happy listening!

]]><![CDATA[2025: A Year of Reading in Review]]>https://closereads.substack.com/p/2025-a-year-of-reading-in-reviewhttps://closereads.substack.com/p/2025-a-year-of-reading-in-reviewWed, 31 Dec 2025 19:55:51 GMTWelcome to our longest episode of the year, during which we discuss our favorite reading experiences of the year, share our individual top five books, and drop some news about HQ books for 2026. Happy new year from all of us at Close Reads!

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