A History of the Island | Part 4

Welcome to our last episode of A History of the Island. In this episode, Rhea and Shari consider questions like: What is the final significance of the Publisher’s Note at the beginning of the novel? Is this novel an allegory for Ecclesiastes? Can we ever fully understand the past on this side of eternity? What do we make of Jean-Marie’s shift in his design for his film? What role does fate and freewill each play in the making of history? And more.Below you will find our outline for this final episode. If you love having outlines to the books we discuss, we will be making these available every week behind a paywall beginning in September. (They will be available for all during the month of August for your perusal.) Outlines are great for reading with others, or as a study guide if using for self-study or in a class setting. If you’d like to learn more about our paid subscription options, read the beginning of this post:Our next close read is The Constant Nymph, by Margaret Kennedy. This is R&W’s second Kennedy novel. We read (and loved!) The Feast in 2025.Here is the reading schedule:* Episode 1 | Aug 11: Chapters 1-8* Episode 2 | Aug 18: Chapters 9-16* Episode 3 | Aug 25: Chapters 17-24Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you like this episode, ❤️ it and share it!The Reader & the Writer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our literary work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Reader & the Writer at thereaderandthewriter.substack.com/subscribe