Ep. 2: Protagonists Who Are Writers (Misery + Seven Days in June)
Summary: Today, Holly and Devin connect to discuss books that feature writers as their protagonists. They review how the protagonists’ writing careers are used as catalysts for plot and for character growth. Publicity and fandom are a major theme across both books, and they end by agreeing that writers as protagonists is only effective when the author of the book itself is adept and not using it to be lazy and “writing what they know” too much.
Topics Discussed:
- The Heart (19:41): Devin discussed Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, a book where both main protagonists are writers. Her key takeaways were:
- The book featured one of her top 10 sex scenes of 2021; an unusual (and public!) location, a surprising reunion and a release of fantastically pent-up tension.
- Williams took romance novels to a more literary place by touching on themes of chronic illness, BIPOC struggles in America, and recovering from childhood trauma.
- While the main pair are drawn together by chemistry and shared history, the ultimate success of the book is the demonstration of love and lifestyle as a conscious, mature choice.
- The Dagger (2:14): Holly brought Misery by Stephen King to the table, with Paul Sheldon as the acclaimed author of the Misery series. Her key takeaways were:
- The exploration of addiction was a fascinating throughline of the novel, with Paul being drawn in by painkillers supplied by his captor, Annie, and Annie having an unhealthy relationship to Paul and his series.
- Horror is not just jump scares but often disgusting, creepy, and off-putting in less “fear-inducing” ways, but that are more elaborately terrifying. King executes on true horror well in Misery.
- King explores what it means to be a writer, with Paul physically trapped in not just this house, but in a literal chair with the keyboard strapped on top of his lap.
- Hot On the Shelf (39:30):
- Holly: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
- Devin: Originals by Adam Grant
- What’s Making Our Hearts Race (42:43):
- Holly: “The Tragedy of MacBeth” film with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand
- Devin: “Don’t Look Up” film with Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence
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Keywords: Misery, Stephen King, Tia Williams, Seven Days in June, Writers, Horror, Romance, Macbeth, The Tragedy of MacBeth, Don’t Look Up, Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Leo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Literature, Books, Reading, Bookish, Pop-Culture
