Welcome back to Book Chat, a new monthly books podcast brought to you by novelist Bobby Palmer and journalist Pandora Sykes, which does what it says on the tin: we each bring one book, and we chat. Our one rule? The books have to be more than 2 years old. NB: this is a meaty book chat, not a book review show, so if you have not yet read the books, there will be spoilers.
For our second episode, Pandora brings White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2000) and Bobby, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (2016, trans. 2019). Both books were huge bestsellers and launched each woman as a "literary sensation". We discuss this tag as well as the books themselves: our favourite bits, how they've aged, and what we'd change.
Other books/ articles mentioned:
Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald
Darling by India Knight
On Beauty, NW, Intimations, Swing Time and Grand Union by Zadie Smith
Life Ceremony and Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
White Teeth seemed fresh and optimistic in 2000 - how does it read now? by Sam Jordison for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/jul/14/white-teeth-2000-how-does-it-read-now-zadie-smith
Generation Why? by Zadie Smith for The New York Review of Books https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/11/25/generation-why/
In Defence of Fiction, by Zadie Smith for The New York Review of Books https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/10/24/zadie-smith-in-defense-of-fiction/
Zadie Smith interview: On Shame, Rage and Writing, for the Louisiana channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LREBOwjrrw
For Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata, odd is the new normal, by Motoko Rich for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/books/japanese-novelist-sayaka-murata-convenience-store-woman.html
The future of sex lives in us all, by Sayaka Murata for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/opinion/future-sex-society.html
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
Darling by India Knight
Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
White Noise by Don DeLillo
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Luster by Raven Leilani
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
On Beauty, NW, Intimations, Swing Time and Grand Union by Zadie Smith
Earthlings and Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata
You can get in touch bookchatpod@gmail.com.
Sound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora Sykes.
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