The Big Book Project

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectWatch the full episode on youtube: As we continue reading The School of Night by Karl Ove Knausgaard, Richard Bailey joins me to talk about Part Two of the novel. Richard is my fellow bookseller at Interabang Books and simply, one of my favorite people to talk to about books, ideas, and the creative process. As we continue to try to understand who Kristian is, the direction and intent of his photography, and the influences on him of the mysterious Hans and the Faustus story, Richard and I discuss, debate, and challenge each other about Kristian’s character and the philosophical underpinnings of the novel. I hope that the discussion enhances your own reading of the novel.

The name Fernando Del Paso was new to me two and a half years ago when author, publisher, and Dalkey Archive Press alum Martin Riker introduced me to Palinuro of Mexico. What a revelation this late Mexican novelist! Here was an author who wrote wildly, exuberantly, and explored consciousness, memory, and the ineffable mysticism of the world in such a compelling way. It didn’t take me any time at all to go out and purchase a second-hand copy of his only other novel to be translated into English, News From the Empire, a thematically different novel than Palinuro, but with that signature, uncontainable writing style. It’s such a pleasure, then, to find a fellow fan of Del Paso, who, like me, wants to foist these novels on adventuresome readers in the US. Ron Restrepo is one of the most intrepid readers I know, and I had fun talking to him about News From the Empire. We discuss that wonderful style, the novel’s polyvocal narration, and how Del Paso interrogates notions of empire and historiography. I hope that this conversation will persuade you to read this exuberant, funny, and tragic novel. Or if not, perhaps you will enjoy our discussion of the brief reign in Mexico of two European royals: Maximillan of Hapsburg Austria and his Belgian bride Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold, I, and how Europe’s imperial ambitions in Latin America were debated, at times resisted, and other times poorly implemented, with the United States, France, Spain, and the Church in Rome each exercising its power in pursuit of conflicting interests.i

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectChad W. Post, publisher at Open Letter Books and translation studies instructor at the University of Rochester joins Lori Feathers on The Big Book Project to discuss the first 145 pages of Karl Ove Knausgåard's The School of Night. They explore Knausgaard's ouvre, the companion novels in his The School of Night constellation, as well as some of the author's autobiographical writing in the My Struggle series.Chad and Lori talk about Kristian's ambition and his art; the enigmatic Hans; and, how Kristian deflects all criticism about himself and his work. They dig into Knausgåard's distinctive style and the way his detailed explanations of Kristian's way of seeing and organizing his world is so difficult for other authors to imitate.Whether you are reading the novel along with us or simply want to hear what Chad has to say about Karl Ove Knausgaard's work, you will enjoy the discussion.

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectDostoevsky’s The Idiot is too much—too many characters, too many plot points, too much chaos—and that’s exactly what makes it extraordinary. In this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers sits down with Professor Michael Sexton, a devoted reader now on his fourth reading of the novel, to dig into Part Two, Chapters VII through XII.They talk about the riotous scene where a motley crew of young nihilists storms in to demand money from Prince Myshkin—a scene so over-the-top that Michael confesses he skipped it on previous readings but now finds it devastatingly funny. Lori and Michael explore how Dostoevsky parodies nihilistic thought through these characters and why the women in the room are furious at this attempt to humiliate the Prince and call the scene a madhouse.They linger on one of the novel’s most complex characters, Lizaveta Prokofyevna, who Michael sees growing into a great comic creation of Dostoevsky across his readings—a woman who ridicules the dying Ippolit for making speeches and then pulls him to her bosom in a moment of devastating maternal tenderness. The conversation turns to a foundational question of the novel: is Prince Myshkin best understood through the figure of Don Quixote or through the tradition of the holy fool? Michael brings in Miguel de Unamuno’s Our Lord Don Quixote and Nabokov’s Lectures on Don Quixote; Lori pushes back, arguing the Prince’s interiority and complexity exceed what Cervantes gave us.They also discuss Nastasya Filippovna’s shadowy, sinister presence lurking in the background, the theme of doubleness and duplicity as both a motif and a structural principle in Dostoevsky, and Chapter VII—a seemingly throwaway exchange between the Prince and Lizaveta that both Lori and Michael argue is indispensable, written in the style and spirit of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.Timestamps:00:00 Welcome & Introduction to This Week’s Reading01:14 Dostoevsky Is “Too Much”—And That’s the Point05:14 The Nihilists Storm In: Comedy and Chaos09:19 Lizaveta Prokofyevna: From Foolish Woman to Holy Fool15:07 The Prince’s Friends React—Insult and Dignity18:42 Chapter 12: Oscar Wilde Meets Dostoevsky22:08 Nastasya Filippovna’s Sinister Shadow25:58 Don Quixote, Christ, and Prince Myshkin36:50 Dostoevsky’s Christianity, Russian Nationalism, and Harold Bloom41:14 The Idiot as One Chapter of a Larger Novel42:30 Doubles, Duplicity, and Keller’s Confession45:43 Why Chapter 12 Is IndispensableSubscribe to The Big Book Project and join the group read of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. New posts every Tuesday and Thursday on Substack. Follow along, leave your thoughts, and read along with Lori and the community.

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectD.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow rewards readers willing to move inward — into the psychological depths of a single family across three generations — rather than outward toward the conventional satisfactions of plot and incident. In this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers is joined by novelist Mark Haber for a rich, searching conversation about one of Lawrence’s most extraordinary and, as both agree, somewhat underappreciated works.The Rainbow traces the Brangwen family through the pressures of nationality and gender, the primal forces of love and sexual desire, and the slow, irreversible transformation of a world that once measured time by the seasons. Lori and Mark explore how Lawrence sustains narrative intensity across three generations using a remarkably tight circle of characters — no strangers arrive to upend the story, no dramatic external events intrude — relying instead on what Mark notes as the novel’s defining quality: its passionate psychological interiority.The conversation moves through the novel’s most compelling terrain: the question of whether The Rainbow is, as some critics have charged, misogynistic, or whether Ursula Brangwen — the novel’s fierce, searching third-generation protagonist — represents someone genuinely radical for her era; the treatment of sexuality as a primal, deeply psychological force rather than mere titillation; the immigrant narrative embedded in Lydia’s Polish origins and what it contributes to the novel’s portrait of cultural difference; the role of religion and nature as competing — or perhaps complementary — forms of the sacred; and the tender, unusually intimate portraits of father-daughter relationships that mark the book as distinctly working-class in its emotional priorities.Mark Haber also discusses his forthcoming novel, Ada and shares his current reading, including a deep immersion in Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.Mark Haber is the author of three novels, most recently Lesser Ruins, and an editor at Coffee House Press. His fourth novel, Ada, is forthcoming in July.Chapters:00:00 Introduction & Welcome00:17 Why The Rainbow? Mark’s Curveball Pick02:10 The Brangwen Family & Tight Circle of Characters05:09 Three Generations in Under 500 Pages08:44 Sexuality and the Psychological Interior12:09 Is The Rainbow Misogynistic? Female Agency in Anna and Ursula17:35 Flux and Consistency: Lawrence’s Narrative Rhythm22:09 Is It a Dark Book? Tone, Mood, and Hope24:33 Overwriting, Purple Prose, and Literary Genius28:08 Religion, Faith, and Nature as the Sacred33:43 Lydia’s Polish Origins and the Immigrant Narrative38:06 Passion, Nature, and Human Longing39:28 Father-Daughter Relationships Across Generations47:16 Mark Haber’s Forthcoming Novel Ada49:39 Current Reading and What’s Coming Next

William Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses is one of those novels that resists easy summary — and that resistance is precisely what makes it so worth discussing. In this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers is joined by Faulkner scholar Larry Allums for a deep, unhurried conversation about one of Faulkner’s most structurally ambitious and morally searching works.Go Down, Moses occupies a deliberately uncomfortable formal space — neither quite a novel nor quite a short story collection — and Lori and Larry explore how that ambiguity is central to the book’s meaning rather than incidental to it. They trace Faulkner’s decision to arrange the chapters outside of chronological order, examine why the McCaslin family genealogy is essential reading before the first page, and follow Ike McCaslin from boyhood to old age as he grapples with inheritance, land ownership, and the accumulated moral weight of what his family has done and left undone.The episode gives extended attention to “The Bear” — the novel’s longest and most mythically charged section — where Old Ben emerges not merely as an animal but as something closer to a totem for the land itself. The mentorship of Sam Fathers, the ritual dimensions of the hunt, and the way Faulkner’s extraordinary nature writing creates a kind of sacred space outside ordinary human corruption are all examined at length. Lori and Larry also discuss the surprising vein of dark comedy running through the novel.The conversation does not look away from what Go Down, Moses most urgently demands: a reckoning with the entangled bloodlines of the McCaslin and Beauchamp families, the unacknowledged moral debts of the slaveholding South, and the question of whether the McCaslins's legacy of inheritance is an attempt to rectify a wrong or a form of denial and evasion.Larry Allums is a William Faulkner scholar who previously joined The Big Book Project for the group read of Absalom, Absalom! His expertise and genuine love for Faulkner’s fiction make him one of the most illuminating guides available to this particular literary terrain.Subscribe to The Big Book Project for readings and discussions of novels that reward the full measure of attention you bring to them.Where to Find the HostThe Big Book Project on SubstackFollow on InstagramWatch on YoutubeChapters:00:00 Introduction & Welcome Back to Larry Allums01:20 Publication History of Go Down Moses07:20 Non-Chronological Structure & Family Genealogy13:00 Ike McCaslin — Childhood to Old Age18:30 Humor in The Fire and the Hearth27:50 Lucas Beauchamp & Inheritance40:20 Interiority and Character Consciousness47:55 Old Ben the Bear & Sam Fathers55:50 Ike’s Renunciation of the Land59:50 McCaslin Characters Across Faulkner’s Fiction01:03:30 Final Reflections & Reading Tips

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers is joined by translator Ursula Phillips to discuss her extraordinary translation of Ice, the monumental, genre-defying novel by Polish author Jacek Dukaj.Clocking in at nearly 1,200 pages, Ice is both an alternate-history epic and a philosophical meditation on truth, language, power, and perception. Phillips guides us through the novel’s vast imaginative scope—from its reimagining of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century, and its complex political, religious, and commercial entanglements in a world frozen by ice, to the deeply personal story of its hero, the Polish mathematician Benedykt Gierosławski, who travels to Siberia in search of his exiled father. Along the way, Phillips offers insight into the intellectual and technical challenges of translating such a singular work.This conversation moves fluidly between plot, prose, and process, exploring how Ice engages with 19th-century novelistic traditions while pushing the boundaries of science fiction, historical fiction, and metaphysical inquiry. Phillips also reflects on narrative voice, linguistic instability, and the role of the translator as both craftsman and interpreter.What We Discuss in This EpisodeAn overview of Ice’s alternate-history premise and frozen world after the ImpactThe novel’s protagonist, Benedykt Gierosławski, and his search for his exiled father, who has become a cult figure in the Land of WinterPolitical theories, religious movements, and commercial interests shaped by the IceThe historical and speculative roles that the Russian Empire and the Trans-Siberian Railway serve in the novel’s plot.The unusual shifts in narrative voice and perspective and how this is executed. The translator’s postscript and the philosophical problems of language and meaningThe technical and conceptual challenges of translating a 1,200-page novelDukaj’s lush, sensory languageConnections to Kafka, Dostoevsky, and the 19th-century “big novel” traditionRecommendations on other Polish literature for readers to exploreNotable MomentLori reads a striking passage describing Benedykt’s first experience wearing frosto-glaze glasses—a scene that transforms the world into a riot of color and movement, highlighting the novel’s extraordinary visual imagination and the precision of Phillips’s translation.About the GuestUrsula Phillips is an acclaimed literary translator specializing in Polish literature. Her translation of Ice has been widely praised for preserving the novel’s philosophical depth, linguistic complexity, and stylistic ambition.About the BookIce by Jacek Dukaj is an alternate-history novel set in a world reshaped by a mysterious climate-altering event. Blending science fiction, political theory, metaphysics, and historical fiction, the novel interrogates how truth, logic, and power shift under radically altered conditions.Listener TipIce includes a Glossary and Dramatis Personae to help readers navigate its neologisms and cast of characters.Links and Resources:📚 The Big Book Project on Substack🎙️ Follow The Big Book Project on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube➡️ Follow on Instagram

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori sits down with novelist and philosopher Mark de Silva to explore his monumental 2022 novel The Logos — a thousand-page meditation on art, perception, capitalism, and the visual texture of contemporary life.A writer steeped in philosophy and the visual arts, Mark reveals how The Logos emerged from nearly a decade of research into advertising theory, image culture, and the psychological forces that shape our desires. Lori and Mark’s conversation ranges from the phenomenology of seeing, to the dark glamour of New York City, drawing versus painting, and the strange seductions of stealth marketing.Together, Lori and Mark dive deep into:The narrator’s crisis of art and identity — and how success in the gallery world becomes a trapDrawing vs. painting as competing ways of capturing truthThe philosophy of visual perception and why looking too closely can dissolve the worldAdvertising as the new public art, and the blurred lines between art, manipulation, and influenceDaphne and Duke, the quasi-celebrities at the center of a massive, ambiguous ad campaignNew York City as a psychological landscape — its light, darkness, and peripheriesEmotional stuntedness, knowledge as alienation, and the costs of obsessive perceptionThe Logos as a portrait of contemporary capitalist culture — the beauty and the rotMark’s new work-in-progress: a sweeping novel about psychiatry, objectivity, homelessness, and agricultural labor in CaliforniaMark also recommends some of the big books currently on his mind, including:Hermann Broch — The Sleepwalkers and The Death of VirgilSolvej Balle -- On the Calculation of Volume seriesThis is a rich, layered conversation about what it means to see, what it means to make art, and what it means to capture the truth of a world defined by images.CHAPTERS00:00 — The twin crises at the heart of The Logos00:40 — Introducing Mark de Silva02:00 — Nine years of research and writing04:20 — An artist losing faith in the art world06:15 — Advertising as the new public art08:10 — Portraiture, obsession, and the essence of a person10:00 — Seeing too closely and dissolving boundaries12:00 — Drawing vs. painting: form vs. sensory seduction15:15 — The sensory trap of consumer culture17:30 — Ubiquity vs. usefulness in advertising theory20:00 — Stealth campaigns, non-celebrities, and identity23:00 — Art or capital? Garrett’s mysterious motives25:30 — The darkness underneath Daphne and Duke29:00 — New York City as a living organism33:00 — Emotional stuntedness and the alienation of knowledge37:00 — Writing through the eye — the book’s visual intensity40:45 — Art after capitalism: what still matters?45:00 — Is commercial art “real art”?47:20 — Mark’s next novel: psychiatry, mind, and California51:00 — Big book recommendations55:00 — Closing reflections

In this final discussion of Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner, Lori is joined once again by Dr. Larry Allums to close out one of the most haunting and inexhaustible novels in American literature.Together, they trace Faulkner’s labyrinth of narration—Quentin and Shreve’s imaginative reconstruction of the Sutpen story—and explore what it reveals about truth, storytelling, and the South’s enduring obsession with its past. Lori and Larry discuss themes of fatalism, love, terror, and the moral weight of history, examining how characters like Judith and Charles embody both the inescapability of inheritance and moments of grace within it.They also reflect on Faulkner’s ambivalence toward the South—his simultaneous hatred and love for it—and how that tension gives the novel its tragic depth. From the image of the blackbird referring to Wallace Stevens’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” the conversation concludes by considering what it means, as readers, to seek truth in a story that resists any single interpretation.A fitting end to The Big Book Project’s journey through Absalom, Absalom!—and a reminder that the most profound books never truly end; they continue to reverberate in the imagination long after the final page.Chapters:00:00 — Introduction02:00 — The unreliable narrators: Quentin and Shreve15:30 — Judith and Charles: love, fate, and moral choice35:00 — The curse and fatalism of the Sutpen legacy50:00 — Faulkner’s ambivalence toward the South1:02:00 — Wallace Stevens and the search for truth1:04:30 — Closing reflections📚 Subscribe to The Big Book Project for more deep dives into literature’s boldest novels.🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers and Dr. Larry Allums delve into Chapter 7 of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom!—one of the novel’s most intricate and revealing sections.They trace Thomas Sutpen’s backstory from his rugged Appalachian boyhood to the life-altering moment that shapes his “design.” What begins as a story of social humiliation—being told to “use the back door”—unfolds into a meditation on innocence, ambition, race, and the American faith in self-invention.Lori and Larry discuss Sutpen’s fatal pursuit of a perfect plan, the symbolism of the front door, and Faulkner’s devastating irony: the man who vowed never again to reject a child as he had been rejected ends by repeating the same cruelty.Together they explore how Faulkner layers fate and free will, class and color, guilt and innocence—linking Sutpen’s vision to larger American myths of reinvention and control, from The Great Gatsby to The American Adam.Chapters & Highlights0:00 — Opening reflections on Chapter 74:30 — The twin taboos: race and kinship10:15 — The front-door incident and the birth of “the design”20:00 — Innocence, ambition, and moral blindness30:00 — Haiti, revelation, and the seeds of tragedy40:00 — Charles Bon’s return and the great irony50:00 — Wash Jones and the novel’s most brutal reckoning58:00 — Faulkner and the myth of the self-made man📚 Subscribe to The Big Book Project for more deep dives into literature’s boldest novels.🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

In this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers and literary scholar Dr. Larry Allums continue their deep exploration of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom!—turning to the enigmatic and multi-layered Chapter 6.This chapter introduces a new voice into Faulkner’s intricate web of narrators: Shreve McCannon, Quentin Compson’s Canadian roommate at Harvard. Lori and Larry discuss how Faulkner weaves Shreve into the novel’s chorus of storytellers and how this outsider’s perspective both contrasts and transforms as he becomes absorbed in the haunting saga of Thomas Sutpen.Their conversation delves into the chapter’s dizzying narrative structure—its use of italics, parentheses, and shifting points of view—and the profound questions it raises about race, family, innocence, and inherited guilt. They also examine Faulkner’s portrayal of characters like Clytie, Judith, Charles Bon, and Sutpen himself, and how the themes of lineage and identity echo through generations.As Lori notes, reading Absalom, Absalom! feels like piecing together a vast jigsaw puzzle—frustrating, dazzling, and endlessly rewarding.Listen to this episode to explore:Why Faulkner introduces Shreve in Chapter 6 and what his voice addsThe evolving narration and blurred lines between storytellersThe moral and racial complexities surrounding the Sutpen familyThe concept of “innocence” in Faulkner’s modern worldHow memory, myth, and history intertwine in Southern storytelling⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Introduction and recap of Absalom, Absalom!02:15 – Welcoming Dr. Larry Allums back to discuss Chapter 604:05 – The arrival of Shreve McCannon: a new narrator enters07:40 – Faulkner’s use of multiple voices and shifting narration10:55 – Why Faulkner gives Shreve an outsider’s Canadian perspective14:20 – Quentin and Shreve’s dynamic: skepticism vs. obsession18:10 – Revisiting Sutpen’s Hundred after 43 years21:00 – Deaths, births, and the letter announcing Rosa’s passing24:45 – Understanding Charles Bon and questions of race29:30 – Thomas Sutpen’s suspicions and the “design” of his life34:20 – Innocence, guilt, and the Southern moral code39:00 – Judith and Clytie’s shared loyalty and quiet defiance44:30 – The role of New Orleans and the octaroon society48:15 – Charles Bon Jr.’s identity struggle and racial ambiguity52:40 – Family lineage, belonging, and Faulkner’s concept of “passing”56:25 – The haunting of Sutpen’s legacy across generations59:10 – Faulkner’s use of italics and parentheses in Chapter 61:02:30 – The mystery of the cemetery and Judith’s epitaph1:06:00 – Memory, inheritance, and the Southern sense of place1:09:10 – Shreve’s humor and levity amid tragedy1:12:00 – The brilliance of Faulkner’s narrative control1:14:45 – Closing thoughts and preview of Chapter 7🗣️ Join the ConversationIf you’re reading along, I’d love to know:💬 What struck you most about these chapters?Share your thoughts in the comments so we can read and wrestle with Faulkner together.✨ Follow The Big Book Project📺 Watch on YouTube📚 Support independent bookstoresFollow on Instagram

Welcome back to The Big Book Project, hosted by Lori Feathers. In Video 2, Lori continues her discussion of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! with returning guest Dr. Larry Allums. Together, they unpack the intense drama of Chapters 4 and 5, where Rosa Coldfield’s narration reveals her humiliation at the hands of Thomas Sutpen — and Faulkner deepens his exploration of race, obsession, and the tragic design at the heart of Sutpen’s Hundred.In this episode, Lori and Larry discuss:Rosa’s fateful journey to Sutpen’s Hundred and the death of Charles BonJudith’s shocking composure and Clytie’s defianceThe detective-story structure of Faulkner’s storytellingSutpen’s bizarre “courtship” of Rosa and his obsession with producing a male heirThe moral and emotional unraveling of the Sutpen dynastyThe chilling ending of Chapter 5 — and what may still be “alive” inside the dark houseIf you’re reading Absalom, Absalom! along with us, this video helps illuminate Faulkner’s intricate web of narrators, memory, and myth.📚 Next episode: We’ll continue the conversation with Chapters 6–7.🔔 Subscribe to join our Big Book discussions and never miss a new video.Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome back to The Big Book Project 01:10 – Rosa’s journey and the murder of Charles Bon 11:25 – Judith’s calm and Clytie’s defiance 21:45 – Rosa’s narration and Faulkner’s detective style 31:30 – The “courtship” of Rosa and Sutpen’s obsession 49:00 – Reconstruction and loss of Sutpen’s Hundred 1:04:00 – Rosa’s outrage and the theme of humiliation 1:20:00 – The mysterious presence in the houseKeywords: William Faulkner, Absalom Absalom analysis, The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers, Larry Allums, Faulkner deep dive, Rosa Coldfield, Thomas Sutpen, Southern Gothic, literary discussion, American classics, book club, big books, modernist fiction, Faulkner interpretation

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers is joined by Dr. Larry Allums to launch our collective read of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! — one of the most complex and unforgettable novels in American literature.They unpack the biblical and mythological dimensions of the novel, explore its shifting narrators, and discuss how Faulkner used the story of Thomas Sutpen to expose the South’s tangled history of ambition, race, and memory.Whether you’re a first-time reader or a lifelong admirer of Faulkner, this conversation offers insight and encouragement as we journey together through the first three chapters.HighlightsThe meaning behind the title Absalom, Absalom!Rosa Coldfield’s rage and unreliable narrationSutpen’s “Hundred” and his mysterious design The “fever and the disease”: Faulkner’s metaphor for the South’s legacy of slaveryWhy Faulkner’s idea of innocence redefines tragedyFollow & Support 📺 Watch on YouTube 📚 Support independent bookstores 📸 Follow on Instagram 💌 Join the community on Substack#Faulkner #AbsalomAbsalom #BookPodcast #SouthernGothic #LoriFeathers #LarryAllums #TheBigBookProject

This week on The Big Book Project I’m joined by Nick During, publicist at New York Review Books, for a deep dive into Henrik Pontoppidan’s monumental novel A Fortunate Man translated by Paul Larkin.Pontoppidan, who won the 1917 Nobel Prize in Literature, gives us one of the great portraits of ambition, love, and disillusionment at the turn of the 20th century. His protagonist, Per, dreams of modernizing Denmark through a grand engineering project, but struggles with depression, family estrangement, and a doomed romance with Jakobe, a brilliant woman from a wealthy Jewish family.Nick and I explore:Why Per is both “lucky” and cursed by self-sabotageJakobe’s role as lover, mentor, and tragic figureThe tension between rural tradition and modern progress in DenmarkHow the novel anticipates modern psychology while rooted in 19th-century realismPontoppidan’s trilogy and why A Fortunate Man deserves a place alongside Tolstoy, Ibsen, and ChekhovNick also shares exciting news on upcoming big books from NYRB, including rediscoveries by Gabriele Tergit and Manuel Mujica Laínez. Support the project on Substack Follow me on Instagram Episode HighlightsPer’s brilliance vs. his depressive self-sabotageLove and mentorship in his relationship with JakobeAnti-Semitism and social class in turn-of-the-century DenmarkThe clash of engineering ambition with political compromisePontoppidan’s overlooked place in world literature A Fortunate Man (NYRB Classics) is available now — highly recommended for anyone ready to spend time inside one of the richest, most complex novels of modern Europe.

Join host Lori Feathers and guest Chad W. Post (Dalkey Archive Press & Open Letter Books) as they dive into the world of Portuguese writer António Lobo Antunes, one of the most significant literary voices of the last 50 years.They discuss Antunes’s groundbreaking style—shifting voices, fragmented memory, and narrative consciousness—as well as the political and historical backdrops of his fiction, including Angola and post-revolutionary Portugal. Lori and Chad share insights on which Antunes novels are most approachable, what makes Midnight Is Not in Everyone’s Reach a standout, and how translators capture his unique prose.📚 Books discussed: Act of the Damned, Return of the Caravels, The Splendor of Portugal, The Inquisitor’s Manual, Fatal Alexandrino, and more.👍 If you enjoy in-depth literary conversations, subscribe for more episodes of The Big Book Project!Follow The Big Book Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigbookproject/Open Letter Books: https://www.openletterbooks.orgDalkey Archive Press: https://www.dalkeyarchive.com

In this final conversation on The Kindly Ones, I’m joined again by Tom Flynn to explore the last chaotic stretch of Jonathan Littell’s massive and deeply unsettling novel.We talk about the feverish pacing, the bizarre turns, and the chilling final scenes—from Max biting Hitler’s nose to the feral children in the woods. Does the book fall apart, or is it mirroring the collapse of the world it depicts? Is Thomas even real? Why does it end in a zoo?This book is hard to read, hard to recommend—and impossible to forget. If you finished it with us this summer, thank you for sticking it out. We made it.Highlights include:Max’s descent into madness—and memoryThe tonal split after he’s shotMurder, guilt, and the arrival of the Kindly OnesIncest, hallucination, and historical ambiguityWhat’s up with the zoo ending?Links 🗞️ Join the newsletter & conversation: https://thebigbookproject.substack.com 📸 Follow along on Instagram: @thebigbookproject

Why do some readers gravitate toward sprawling, ambitious novels that take weeks—or even months—to read? What is it about long books that makes them so immersive, so risky, and so rewarding?In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers is joined once again by writer and professor James Elkins for an in-depth conversation about the magic and challenges of big books. They explore their personal criteria for what makes a long novel worth reading, comparing Lori’s idea of “abundance novels” with James’s concept of “complex novels.”Together, they discuss overlapping favorites like Miss Macintosh, My Darling, Ducks, Newburyport, and Septology, while debating whether detective fiction can ever provide the same level of interiority and immersion. They reflect on rhythm, atmosphere, and the way long novels often give readers a sense of danger—the thrill of knowing the narrative could veer off in unexpected directions at any moment.Whether you’re a longtime lover of big books or curious about what draws readers to them, this conversation will give you fresh insight into why we keep coming back to these enormous, challenging, and unforgettable works.For the image reference James mentioned visit the substack here

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori sits down with Brad Costa, sales representative for W.W. Norton and an extraordinary reader, to discuss Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones.Brad brings a unique perspective as someone who worked in library archives with Holocaust materials, offering profound insights into the novel’s detailed depiction of bureaucratic evil, moral ambiguity, and the unsettling psychology of its narrator, Max.Together, Lori and Brad explore the interplay between history and fiction, the coldness of administrative genocide, and whether Max’s intellectual rationalizations make him more or less culpable for his actions. They also dive into the value (and discomfort) of reading books that challenge us, the novel’s allusions to Greek tragedy, and what readers might anticipate as the story heads toward its conclusion.If you’ve struggled to process The Kindly Ones, this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation will give you fresh context for one of the most challenging—and important—novels of the 21st century.Episode Highlights📚 Brad’s archival perspective: Working with Holocaust materials shaped his response to Littell’s narrative.🧠 Max’s moral ambiguity: Is it worse to be a true believer in evil or a cold bureaucrat?⚖️ Greek tragedy & moral guilt: How the novel draws on classical ideas of responsibility.❌ Academizing evil: Max’s tendency to intellectualize and rationalize atrocities.🪦 Life and death in detail: The tension between moments of pastoral beauty and brutal violence.📖 Literary echoes: Comparisons to The Painted Bird, Mother Night, Life and Fate, The Sea and the Poison, and Anniversaries.🔥 Why read difficult books? Brad and Lori reflect on discomfort as a necessary part of meaningful reading.Chapters00:00 – Introduction: Meeting Brad Costa 01:07 – Brad’s background in Holocaust archives 02:59 – First impressions of The Kindly Ones 05:30 – The novel’s historical detail and Littell’s research process 08:37 – Max’s bureaucratic mindset and calorie calculations 11:46 – The human zoo and dehumanization in the narrative 14:24 – True believers vs. bureaucratic indifference 17:16 – Max’s dysfunctional personal life: Sister and mother dynamics 21:08 – Grotesque ironies and Max’s post-war life 23:14 – Thomas vs. Voss: Max’s moral compass 26:52 – Academizing evil as a psychological shield 30:38 – Sympathy for animals, indifference to humans 33:27 – Reading difficult books: Taking breaks and returning 35:28 – Beauty and horror in Littell’s writing 39:40 – Anticipating the end: Will Max ever reckon with his actions? 44:25 – Recommended books for further reading 49:51 – Final reflections: On hubris, denial, and moral discomfort 52:23 – Closing thoughts

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers is joined by Professor Dorian Stuber for a deep dive into Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones. They explore the book’s place within Holocaust literature, its historical accuracy, and the challenges it poses to readers and educators alike. From the banality of evil to the controversial portrayal of sexual deviancy, Lori and Dorian unpack the themes, narrative choices, and lasting impact of this monumental novel.Whether you’re reading along or reflecting on the ethical and historical complexities of literature about atrocity, this conversation offers thought-provoking insights that linger long after the final page.They explore:⚡ The bureaucracy of genocide⚡ Why Max is so unsettling⚡ The debate around historical accuracy and literary intent📚 Whether you’ve read the book or not, this conversation will challenge how you think about atrocity in fiction.The Big Book Project Links:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeInstagram

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers sits down with art historian, theorist, and novelist James Elkins to discuss his new book A Short Introduction to Anneliese published by Unnamed Press—the second novel in his five-volume literary experiment, Five Strange Languages.James shares the 20-year journey behind this sprawling, genre-defying project, its dizzying structure, overlapping timelines, and why his fictional characters come with charts, graphs, footnotes, and even musical scores.Lori and James dive deep into big questions: What makes a long novel worthwhile? What does it mean to forget your younger self? Can emotion survive in a highly structured novel? Is complexity the goal—or the undoing—of the epic form?From Sebald to Stockhausen, Darwin to Ducks, Newburyport, this is a conversation for readers who love books that break form, test memory, and defy easy classification.If you’ve ever wept in front of a painting, lost patience with Proust, or believe you could be charmed by a neurotic biologist surrounded by 120 unread notebooks, this one’s for you.Connect with James:jameselkins.comA hub for his published books, essays, art criticism, upcoming projects, and course materials.The Big Book Project Links:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeInstagramChapters00:00 – Welcome + Introducing James Elkins01:00 – What is A Short Introduction to Anneliese?02:00 – Structuring a 5-Volume Novel Overlapping in Time05:00 – A Character Who Writes Thousands of Pages Alone08:00 – Musical Memory and the Role of Stockhausen12:00 – Letting Visuals Speak in Fiction14:00 – The Art of Illegible Notebooks and Fictional Archives18:00 – Creating the Character of Anneliese21:00 – Long Novels, Insanity, and Summer Reading Lists24:00 – Philip K. Dick, Earthworms, and Other Mad Texts26:30 – Does Any Big Book Really Stay in Control?28:30 – Ducks, Digressions, and Structural Drift30:00 – Does Constraint Kill Emotion in Fiction?33:00 – Organizing Chaos: Making Anneliese Sympathetic35:00 – Sculpting Disorder: Anneliese's Aesthetic Philosophy37:00 – The Next Volumes in the Five Strange Languages Project40:00 – Crying in Front of Paintings: James on Emotional Art43:00 – Social Isolation, Survival, and Solipsism44:30 – Obituaries and the Final Volume of the Series45:30 – Reading Order and Easter Eggs Across the Series46:30 – The Emotional Life of Difficult Characters48:00 – A Call for More Conversations on Long Novels51:00 – Digressions, Detail, and the Limits of Beauty53:00 – On John Fosse, Acrostic Writing, and Descriptive Gaps54:00 – Wrapping Up + Future Conversations Ahead

Tom Flynn returns to The Big Book Project to continue our group read of Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones—this time tackling pages 333–427, a harrowing descent into the frozen siege of Stalingrad.Lori and Tom unpack the disturbing realism and psychological depth of the novel, exploring themes of unreliable narration, classical tragedy, and the machinery of fascist ideology. They ask hard questions: Is Littell's depiction of atrocity exploitative or essential? Is Max Aue a symbol of something broader, or simply a singular horror? And what’s up with Thomas, the ever-present shadow who might be more demon than man?This episode covers:The blurring line between realism and mythThe moral calculus of depicting violenceThe absurdity of racial classificationThe literary brilliance—and disturbing ambition—of Littell’s proseWhether you’re trudging through this novel with us or watching from a safe distance, this is a deep and thoughtful exploration of one of the most unsettling books of the 21st century.If you’re reading along with us, we’d love to hear your thoughts—on the Substack drop a comment, or tag us on Instagram @thebigbookproject with your biggest questions or takeaways.And if you're enjoying the podcast, leave us a review or share this episode with a fellow reader who isn’t afraid of the dark stuff.00:00 – Intro & Tom’s return01:00 – Why The Kindly Ones is stranger than expected04:00 – Authorial intent & American backlash06:30 – Can we feel empathy for Max? Should we?08:00 – The unreliable narrator problem11:00 – Max’s psychology & his “internal flood”14:00 – The pacing, horror, and lyricism of Littell’s prose17:00 – Stalingrad as hell on earth20:00 – Thomas as twin, demon, or doppelgänger25:00 – Greek tragedy, The Kindly Ones, and fate28:00 – The absurdity of fascist logic32:00 – Honig’s horrifying medical research36:00 – The spiritual death of the Nazi army40:00 – Problem’s Marxist critique of Nazi ideology43:00 – Why write this book?47:00 – Is Max a symbol—or just a damaged man?50:00 – Wrapping up & what's ahead

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers is joined by acclaimed translator David McKay to explore The Remembered Soldier, the haunting and deeply psychological novel by Anjet Daanje, newly released in English by New Vessel Press.This episode unpacks the long journey of bringing The Remembered Soldier from a small regional publisher in the Netherlands to international acclaim—and finally, to English-speaking readers. David shares what drew him to this remarkable work, the challenges of translating its dreamlike prose, and how the novel’s layered structure slowly unravels its mysteries.📚 The Remembered Soldier follows a WWI Belgian soldier found wounded and nameless in a Ghent asylum. Claimed by a woman who says she is his wife, he’s thrust into a fragile new life that forces him to question everything—his identity, her memories, and even reality itself.💡 In This Episode:The real-life inspiration behind the soldier's condition and asylum adsThe psychological tension of memory, identity, and trustDaanje’s radical narrative style and sentence structureHow trauma and war echo in everyday ritualsThe literary legacy of Daanje's work and her next novel, The Song of Stork and DromedaryThis conversation is a deep dive into what makes The Remembered Soldier so unforgettable—and why readers and book clubs alike will be talking about it for years to come.If you’re reading The Remembered Soldier or planning to, don’t do it alone.📩 Join the discussion on Substack and share your takeaways.🎧 Subscribe to The Big Book Project on your favorite platform for more conversations with authors, translators, and literary thinkers.💬 Leave a review and share this episode with your fellow readers—especially the ones who love to talk about books that get under your skin.Chapters00:00 – Introduction to Translator David McKay00:39 – Discovering Anjet Daanje and The Remembered Soldier03:00 – How the Novel Reached an English Audience04:16 – The Historical Reality of Forgotten Soldiers06:06 – Who Is Noon Merkham?07:11 – Homecoming, Photography, and a Life Reclaimed09:25 – Paranoia, Love, and the Shifting Mind11:51 – Sentence Structure as a Reflection of Memory13:49 – Sample Reading: Paranoia in the Darkness16:12 – Is Julianne Telling the Truth?22:17 – Memory as Performance: Photography and Reenactment24:15 – Battlefield Tourism and Sanitized History25:29 – Claustrophobia, Monotony, and Emotional Repetition27:44 – What Was Left Unsaid (Without Spoilers)28:59 – The Next Novel: The Song of Stork and Dromedary34:22 – Dutch vs. English: Word Count and Language36:11 – Final Stages of Translation and What’s Next38:10 – Co-Translating Off-White by Astrid Roemer39:40 – A Perfect Pick for Book ClubsThe Remembered Soldier, Anjet Daanje, David McKay translator, translated fiction 2025, World War I novel, literary fiction, Dutch literature in translation, memory and trauma in fiction, unreliable narrator, New Vessel Press, psychological historical fiction, book club recommendations, post-war novels, The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers podcast, literary podcast 2025

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this solo episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers returns to reflect on the latest section of Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk—around page 300—and dives into the nuanced layers of communication, legacy, and emotional power that define this extraordinary novel.As Milla’s physical condition deteriorates due to ALS, her only form of communication is her eyes. Yet even in silence, she attempts to convey one last urgent desire: to see the maps of the farm. What do these maps represent for Milla? And why does Agaat—seemingly out of both tenderness and quiet resistance—refuse to bring them to her?📌 Lori explores:The mysterious and symbolic role of the farm mapsAgaat’s complex motivations and silent power dynamicsMila’s longing for legacy and meaning in her final daysThe unspoken tension around the third bundle of diariesHow sensory memory, ritual, and resentment play out through objectsThis episode is rich in literary analysis and character interpretation, inviting listeners to reflect on the novel’s recurring themes: miscommunication, psychological control, and the slow unraveling of past choices.📖 Whether you're deep into Agaat or just joining the read-along, this episode offers powerful insight into the emotional core of the book—and leaves you wondering: What do we really leave behind?🔹 The Big Book Project is a guided reading journey through literary masterpieces. Subscribe for weekly deep dives into complex narratives and their cultural significance.Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackAgaat: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

In this special episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers is joined by Nanci McCloskey—Associate Publisher and Director of Sales & Marketing at Tin House Books—to kick off our next group read: Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk.📚 Agaat is a psychological epic set in apartheid-era South Africa, told through the complex relationship between two women—Milla and Agaat. Originally published in the UK under the title The Way of the Women, the novel eventually found its home in the U.S. thanks to Nancy’s passionate advocacy at Tin House. In this conversation, Lori and Nancy discuss the book’s extraordinary language, its slow-burn intensity, and the deeply layered themes of race, power, and legacy.💡 In This Episode:How Agaat came to be published in the U.S.Why Toni Morrison championed the novelThe book’s shifting perspectives and psychological tensionWhy the title Agaat mattersThe parallels between personal relationships and apartheidStories from readers deeply moved by the novelThis episode is a powerful exploration of what makes Agaat one of the most extraordinary modern novels—and why it’s worth your time, despite its 650 pages. Whether you're new to the book or already a devoted reader, this discussion will deepen your understanding of its literary and emotional resonance.🔊 Tune in now to begin your journey through Agaat, and learn why this under-the-radar masterpiece is finally getting the attention it deserves.Where to Find the HostLinks and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackBuy the bookFollow on InstagramWatch on YoutubeConnect with Nanci & Tin HouseInstagramWebsite

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers is joined by literary critic and bookseller Tom Flynn for an in-depth discussion of Roberto Bolaño’s 2666. As we near the end of our 11-week deep dive, we explore the novel’s most compelling themes—literary obsession, systemic violence, and the enigmatic figure of Archimboldi.📖 Key Topics Discussed:✔️ Tom Flynn’s experience reading 2666 and seeing its stage adaptation✔️ How 2666 critiques literary academia and the obsession with authors✔️ The part about the crimes—how violence is depicted and its chilling effect on readers✔️ The concept of heroism in the novel—are there any true heroes?✔️ Bolaño’s portrayal of women and systemic misogyny in Santa Teresa✔️ What the title 2666 might mean and why it remains an enigmaThis episode is a must-listen for lovers of complex literature, literary criticism, and anyone intrigued by Bolaño’s haunting masterpiece. Whether you’re reading along or reflecting on past readings, join us for an engaging conversation filled with insight and literary passion.🔹 The Big Book Project is a guided reading journey through literary masterpieces. Subscribe for weekly deep dives into complex narratives and their cultural significance.📖 Subscribe to The Big Book Project for deep dives into the world’s most thought-provoking literature.💬 Share your thoughts on this section of 2666—how did it affect you?🔎 Follow us for more literary analysis, book discussions, and immersive reading experiences.Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackRoberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on YoutubeConnect with Thomas Flynn:BlueskyInstagramTwitter

In this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers unpacks one of the most haunting themes in Roberto Bolaño’s 2666: the slow erosion of humanity in the face of systemic violence. Through the lens of The Part About Archimboldi, we explore the chilling parallels between Nazi Germany and the fictional town of Santa Teresa—modeled after the real-life femicides of Ciudad Juárez.Key Themes Discussed:The link between the Holocaust and the Santa Teresa murdersHow mass violence is enabled by societal complacencyThe role of media, government, and economic interests in silencing truthThe banality of evil: Hannah Arendt’s philosophy in 2666Why societies turn a blind eye to suffering—and what that means for us todayBolaño forces us to ask: How does systemic violence become an accepted part of life? What role do power structures play in normalizing brutality? And ultimately, how does a society lose its humanity?📖 Join the Discussion:What moments in 2666 stood out to you?Do you see parallels between the book and modern-day issues?How can literature help us confront history’s darkest truths?💬 Share your thoughts in the comments or on social media!Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackRoberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

https://substack.com/@thebigbookprojectIn this episode of The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers continues the deep dive into Roberto Bolaño’s 2666, focusing on the second section of The Part About the Crimes. As the narrative unfolds, we examine the harrowing depiction of systemic complicity in the Santa Teresa femicides. From the corruption of the police and prison guards to the media’s role in sensationalizing crime, we discuss how Bolaño presents a chilling portrait of societal rot. How does the novel force us to confront our own world’s failures in addressing gender-based violence? Join us as we unravel these themes and more.🔹 The Big Book Project is a guided reading journey through literary masterpieces. Subscribe for weekly deep dives into complex narratives and their cultural significance.📖 Subscribe to The Big Book Project for deep dives into the world’s most thought-provoking literature.💬 Share your thoughts on this section of 2666—how did it affect you?🔎 Follow us for more literary analysis, book discussions, and immersive reading experiences.Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackRoberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

In this gripping episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers dives into the most haunting and unrelenting section of Roberto Bolaño’s 2666—The Part About the Crimes. This chapter confronts readers with a relentless account of femicides in the border town of Santa Teresa.Lori explores why Bolaño meticulously details the murders of more than 200 women—examining how individualizing victims creates an emotional impact, the novel’s critique of societal apathy, and the shocking contrast between law enforcement’s response to these crimes versus their pursuit of a church vandal known as "the Penitent."Join us as we unravel the themes of violence, dehumanization, and the chilling banality of evil, drawing connections to philosopher Hannah Arendt’s work. How does Bolaño want us to react? What emotions does this overwhelming accumulation of horror evoke? And what does it say about the societies we live in today?📖 Subscribe to The Big Book Project for deep dives into the world’s most thought-provoking literature.💬 Share your thoughts on this section of 2666—how did it affect you?🔎 Follow us for more literary analysis, book discussions, and immersive reading experiences.Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackRoberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

In this episode of The Big Book Project, host Lori Feathers delves into Part Three of Roberto Bolaño’s 2666, The Part About Fate. Through the lens of Oscar Fate’s journey, we explore themes of identity, violence, and the fragile boundary between reality and illusion.Key discussion points include:🔹 Barry Seaman’s speech on fate, dreams, and semblances—what do the stars reveal about our perceptions of reality?🔹 Amalfitano’s musings on pain, injustice, and the mind’s survival mechanisms.🔹 The chilling femicides in Santa Teresa—how does Bolaño weave societal violence into the novel’s deeper existential themes?🔹 The enigmatic presence of Guadalupe Roncal and what her fear tells us about the city’s dark undercurrents.Join the conversation on Substack, where we continue to analyze 2666 with in-depth discussions, reader comments, and a structured reading schedule.Links and Resources:The Big Book Project on SubstackRoberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the BookFollow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

 In this episode of The Big Book Project, we delve into the second half of Part One of Roberto Bolaño's 2666, focusing on the critics' journey to Mexico in search of the elusive author, Archimboldi. The episode explores several key themes, including the unsettling encounter with the self-mutilating artist, Edwin Johns, and his chilling philosophy on fate and coincidence.We delve into the critics' quest for Archimboldi, highlighting their ambition and arrogance. Their journey is fraught with unexpected obstacles and cultural clashes, revealing their condescending attitude towards the Mexican people. The episode also examines Morini's decision to remain in Europe, a poignant reflection on the nature of literary appreciation and the internal journey of the soul.The concept of fate is explored through the lens of Edwin Johns' philosophy and Amalfitano's perspective on exile. We discuss the significance of the recurring motif of taxi driver beatings, analyze the symbolism of the distinguishing features in the critics' hotel rooms and their subsequent dreams, and consider the implications of Amalfitano's statement that "exile abolishes fate."Finally, the episode explores the potential significance of the numerous characters with names beginning with "A," raising questions about the critics' perception and treatment of the Mexican people.Join the conversation on Substack! Share your thoughts, interpretations, and questions about the reading.Links and Resources: The Big Book Project on Substack Roberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the Book Follow on InstagramWatch on Youtube

Welcome to The Big Book Project, a multi-platform reading experience for lovers of long and intricate novels. Hosted by Lori Feathers, this podcast explores capacious works of fiction, ranging from 19th-century classics to contemporary masterpieces. These novels, rich in style, complex in structure, and abundant in themes, provide an unparalleled opportunity for collaborative reading and discussion.In this inaugural episode, Lori introduces the mission of The Big Book Project— to foster supportive and engaging discussions around challenging novels. Inspired by the idea that reading need not be solitary, Lori shares her perspective on what makes "big books" so extraordinary. From digressions into memories and dreams to repetitions that magnify themes and ideas, these novels offer a space to luxuriate in text and delve deeply into characters' perceptions and transformations.The first featured novel for this journey is Roberto Bolaño’s 2666, a sprawling masterpiece that spans continents and tackles profound themes. Lori provides an enticing preview of this enigmatic book, from its exploration of a group of European scholars obsessed with a mysterious German novelist to its chilling depiction of femicides in a fictional border city.Join the discussion on Substack, where Lori will post weekly insights and prompts to guide your reading. Whether you're a seasoned reader or new to dense fiction, The Big Book Project invites you to embark on this literary adventure together. Highlights:What is The Big Book Project? A collaborative space for readers to tackle dense, abundant novels.Why "Big Books"? Exploring novels with roominess for character digressions, thematic repetition, and complexity.Spotlight on Roberto Bolaño’s 2666: Discover why this modern masterpiece is the perfect starting point.How to Join the Journey: Substack discussions, podcasts, videos, and social media posts to support your reading.Links and Resources:📚 The Big Book Project on Substack📖 Roberto Bolaño’s 2666: Purchase the Book🎙️ Follow The Big Book Project on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTubeDive into 2666 with us starting January 6th. Let’s uncover why this novel has forever changed how Lori thinks about fiction!➡️ Follow on Instagram