5. Memorial & The Virgin Suicides
Welcome to episode 5! On the menu today is Memorial by Byran Washington, which just slips over our '2 years old' threshold - the hype is arguably still hyping - and The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, which was written 30 years ago and yet still, the hype hypes (StudioCanal just released a sparkly new version of the film.)
We discuss Memorial's literary take on the 'meet the parents' romcom, the 'traumedy' genre, and why Mitsuko is one of the best characters ever written; and why The Virgin Suicides' big themes - adolescent mental health, the male gaze, the American Dream - still feel as prescient today.
You can get in touch bookchatpod@gmail.com
Sound by Joel Grove and production by Pandora Sykes
Books/articles mentioned:
Memorial by Bryan Washington
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Memorial review by Maria Marchinkoski for The Harvard Review
Memorial review by Tash Aw for The TLS
Memorial review by Ron Charles for The Washington Post
Jeffrey Eugenides interview at The Strand bookstore
Does The Virgin Suicides still hold up 25 years later? By Emily Temple for LitHub
Pre-order Isaac and the Egg in paperback
Books for episode 6:
When I Hit You by Meena Kandasamy
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
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