Hello, and welcome to the Book Club Juxtapositions podcast! A book club where each month we discuss two pieces of literature and juxtapose them based on theme, plot, author style, societal norms and basically just how the book grabs ya!
The Tell-Tale Heart, the story of of a caretaker, who becomes infatuated with his charge’s eye. The eye of a vulture. His charge, merely a host for the cursed eye, is irrelevant. The eye must be destroyed. This disturbingly awesome narrative is a window into the mind of a narrator’s obsession. An obsession so powerful that murder is the only release.
In this month’s episodes we will examine the theme of obsession in Edgar Allan Poe’s undeniably iconic short horror stories, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado.
Family loyalty. A worthy and noble pride, right? No one could blame you for being angry when some jerk insults your family name, your blood, your very identity. But what if that devotion to your identity becomes an obsession? Could that obsession be satiated with revenge? Would it be sweet?
The Cask of Amontillado, a recounting, of a man waxing lyrical about his carefully executed murder of his nemesis by bricking him up in a catacomb.
Routine. Status quo. Fixed obsessions with societal norms and customs? Are those things that we cling to in the face of utter madness, chaos, the real opiates of the masses? What do you cleave to maintain some sense of control, normalcy, when all else is in ruins? Is the very act of maintaining a status quo , rebellion or cowardice?
New York Times Bestseller Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This is the story of Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian noble sentenced to life confinement in the Metropol, a hotel for Moscow’s and the world’s elite, for crimes against the Revolution. It is a beautifully told character-driven story of his existence for over 30 years behind its walls.
Three little words. A small question. Are you happy? A harmless question, right? Or is it an earthworm burrowing its way into your brain with a never-ending hunger for a compliant existence that you can’t even remember choosing?
Fahrenheit 451, the classic science fiction dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury, is the story of Guy Montag, a fireman tasked to burn books, and thus critical thinking, decides to fight back.
An impossibly random series of events converges to create genius. A convergence of luck? A trick played on us by the gods? Do we mere mortals have control over our destinies by exerting our own free will? Or are we mere puppets to fate?
Outliers By: Malcolm Gladwell is a thought-provoking book that examines some narratives, we as a society, hold about the nature of success and uses scientific studies and those famous for being outstanding in their field to argue the inaccuracies of our preconceived notions.
The roaring 20’s. Gold dreams. Glitz. Glamour. Jazz. Flappers. Prohibition. A world of possibilities ? Look closer. All that glitters isn’t gold. See it? Careless exploitation. Lies, and Death.
The Great Gatsby.
Fate vs. Free Will. There is an inference behind Free Will that we mere mortals have control over our lives. Whereas, fate presupposes we are passengers in a car. Can there be a balance between the two paradoxical forces?
Patriotism. Sacrifice. Love. Duty. A country on the verge of war. A lifelong love of flying. Her country needed her. She would serve, no matter what the cost.
The Flight Girls
Does gender influence how you love and serve your country? Or how you approach a goal, or an obstacle? Who are you deep down? What are you made of during a country’s most dire of moments? The women who served in World War Two are icons of Female Perseverance in the face of danger or death.
We reached out to Noelle Salazar- author of The Flight Girls. She was gracious enough to chat with us. She answered a slew of questions and shared what she learned about the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). We are excited to be able to share our conversation with all of you.
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead is a true story of 230 women in the French Resistance during World War 2 who were sent to Nazi death camps and their courageous struggle for survival.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an ancient Chinese treatise on military strategies and tactics. In this episode we juxtapose the quest for power in The Art of War by Sun Tzu and The Prince by Nicole Machiavelli as told through different literary characters.
In this episode we juxtapose the quest for power in The Prince by Niccolo Machivelli vs. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. The Prince is a 16th Century treatise or perhaps more accurately political philosophy by Niccolo Machiavelli which has become synonymous with its cynical, win at all costs, view on power and those who hold it.
In this episode we examine, Virginia Woolf’s: A Room of One’s Own, an extended essay, which argues that women need a physical and metaphorical place in order to write and how oppression of these voices causes a contrast between feminine internal voices to their patriarchal external realities.
In this episode we discuss the following works of Dorothy Parker: Horsie, The Waltz and Mrs. Post Enlarges on Etiquette.
All of us have an internal voice that at times we dare not share with the external world for fear of judgment or oppression. The genius of these two strong female writers is how brilliantly they rip the bandaid off and show the ugly truth about the truth.
Considered by many to be the first Science Fiction novel, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is the story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, whose scientific ambitions drive him to invent a new species, but a lack of love and acceptance fuels his creation to commit murder.The power of nature is paradoxically a force of creation and destruction. Such a power deserves awe and reverence. One ignores the magnitude of its duality at his or her own peril.
The Hidden Messages in Water provides a scientific framework for how words, feelings and intentions can influence water crystals and, therefore, it stands to reason, because humans are made up of 90% water, human’s physical and mental health.
The Silent Patient is the story of Alicia Berenson, an artist with a troubled past, who is arrested and sentenced to confinement in an asylum for the murder of her husband, and the psychotherapist who is bound and determined to set her free from her self-imposed silent exile from life.
The Couple Next Door is the story of a young couple whose lives are thrown into the worst kind of Hell when their baby is kidnapped while they are at a next door neighbor’s dinner party.
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