In my last book review, I made a passing reference to The Book Club podcast, but there’s so much I like about it that I thought I’d expand on it here.
I first came across The Book Club, when I was listening to Empire (my favorite History podcast), and since then, I have been diving deep into their literary discussions. I specify literary because even though they cover the odd The Hunger Games, they focus on books that are part of the literary canon – like The Great Gatsby or East of Eden.
It helps that their choice of books is so very particular, and that I have read and mostly enjoyed them.
But the two hosts – Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett do such wonderful deep dives and nerd into the books – connecting the stories with the lives of the authors, and the culture and history of that time – really surrounding the book with so much additional context, that it feels almost like I am taking a literature class while I do my morning walk.
I think the mix of grumpy male conservative man and feminist liberal woman works well for analysis and book selection, and I especially like Dom’s takes on books that you mightn’t expect him to like. His ability to place them in historical context is unique, and I hope it is never de-emphasized, as it’s a major part of this podcast’s appeal for me. Tabby is quite biting, which is hilarious, and she challenges him on things that might be a product of his age and background. They have a good level of chemistry and balance each other out quite well, and I like their little in-jokes that show they’ve known each other and worked closely together for a long time.
If there is one thing a little bit disappointing, it’s that their book choices are somewhat predictable, and they are books that have already been discussed to death elsewhere. I guess the plus point of their book choices is that even if you haven’t read the books, most of them are so iconic that there’s a good chance you know the plot anyway.
Still, there are a few I haven’t read, and one of my joys these days is picking out a book I know they’ll feature and then reading it in advance of the podcast. It’s fun, and I get to read a good book (no duds in their book list), and get to read it and appreciate it more deeply. Win!
