Books of Some Substance David Southard and Nathan Sharp

Nathan and David continue their exploration of control with Waiting for Barbarians, a 1980 novel by South African writer J.M. Coetzee. Empire! Torture! Manipulation! Control! Quite the book, and quite the episode.

Our second episode on Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, and again David is joined by Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List. Seth is here to nimbly unravel some of the meaning of this insane and insanely good novel, and he does an excellent job. But no matter what they tend to get lost along the way, as any analysis of the book will be "not a disentanglement from, but a progressive knotting into."
Join them as they knot into the brennschluss point, the inciting incident of what's happening with Slothrop's c*ck, fragmentation of self at at the force of control, the Raketen-Stadt as antagonist, and if there is any sense of hope by the end of the book.
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Books of Some Substance is on Twitter, Instagram, and our brand-new website. 
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Seth is a non-authoritative devotee of anything and everything related to Thomas Pynchon and all varieties of difficult and demanding literature. You can find him on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and Substack.
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Gravity's Rainbow is a groundbreaking novel by acclaimed author Thomas Pynchon. It stands as a masterpiece of postmodern literature, captivating readers with its intricate plot, rich symbolism, and thought-provoking themes. This iconic work delves into the complexities of World War II, war profiteering, corporate scheming, human nature, reflexes, mind control, State control, scientific advancements of the time, and science fiction. The novel offers a unique blend of historical fiction, science fiction, and satire. With its enigmatic characters and labyrinthine narrative, Gravity's Rainbow has become a literary classic, drawing scholars and enthusiasts seeking a challenging and intellectually stimulating reading experience. A world of paranoia, conspiracy, and intricate storytelling, Gravity's Rainbow remains an enduring and influential work in the canon of modern literature. 

In our first of two episodes on Thomas Pynchon's 1973 masterpiece Gravity's Rainbow, David is joined, once again, by Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List to talk about one of his favorite ways to approach the novel. 
Seth brings an invaluable depth of knowledge and research to this episode, examining the novel as being primarily about America in the "long 60s," albeit taking place in Europe in the 1940s. They also discuss Pynchon's work at Boeing being a catalyst for his fascination with the V-2, his writing on race relations in "A Journey into the Mind of Watts," and general advice for reading the book for the first, second, or even third time.  
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Books of Some Substance is on Twitter, Instagram, and our brand-new website. 
*
Seth is a non-authoritative devotee of anything and everything related to Thomas Pynchon and all varieties of difficult and demanding literature. You can find him on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and Substack.
*
Gravity's Rainbow is a groundbreaking novel by acclaimed author Thomas Pynchon. It stands as a masterpiece of postmodern literature, captivating readers with its intricate plot, rich symbolism, and thought-provoking themes. This iconic work delves into the complexities of World War II, war profiteering, corporate scheming, human nature, reflexes, mind control, State control, scientific advancements of the time, and science fiction. The novel offers a unique blend of historical fiction, science fiction, and satire. With its enigmatic characters and labyrinthine narrative, Gravity's Rainbow has become a literary classic, drawing scholars and enthusiasts seeking a challenging and intellectually stimulating reading experience. A world of paranoia, conspiracy, and intricate storytelling, Gravity's Rainbow remains an enduring and influential work in the canon of modern literature. 
 

Welcome all and sundry to the first episode of Season 2: Control. 
Join us, David and Nathan, as we start this new season dancing to the beautifully strange rhythms of Clarice Lispector's The Hour of the Star.
In between quoting and praising this novella, we discuss narrative techniques, metaphysical implications, symbolic deaths, co-existing interpretations, and a fall from grace. 
Listen in, tag us online to discuss the book, and call in to share your thoughts: (331) BOSS-BOT / (331) 267-7268.
Nothing lasts, but a good book lasts longer. 
Find us online: 
https://www.booksofsomesubstance.com/
https://twitter.com/BooksOSubstance
 https://www.instagram.com/booksosubstance/
 

With the 100th episode behind us, and with Nick off exploring the world of dance music, David and Nathan have decided to try some new things. We're going into video (as you can see). We're going seasonal. And we will have a new website, logo, slogan, and much more coming soon. Each new episode will come out on the first Wednesday of every month.
 Season 2 - CONTROL
Nov. 1 - THE HOUR OF THE STAR by Clarice Lispector
Dec. 6 - GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon (part 1: an approach to the novel with Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)
Jan. 3 - GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon (part 2: understanding elements of the novel with Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)
Feb. 7 - WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS by J.M. Coetzee
Mar. 6 - MALINA by Ingeborg Bachmann
Apr. 3 - THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
May 1 - TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller

On this, our 100th episode, we answered some of your questions from our B.O.S.S. voicemail. Sadly we could not get to them all, but we talked about memory, books worth reading a 1,000 times, and childhood books. 
Sadly, we also said farewell to our founding father, Nick, who started this whole wild ride of a podcast and book club. He'll be out there, far from the internet, but still reading good books, still living a life of (some) substance. Godspeed, heavy reader! 
 
Enjoy the (meat) fireworks.