Through the Pages

In this episode, we delve into another German classic: Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. Published in 1911, this novella tells the story of an ageing author and his trip to Venice which - plot twist - is his slow journey into death. We discuss the story’s problematic main character, Mann’s writing style, how it was a short but tough read, and how death is foreshadowed in the text. In our segment Top...

In this episode, we chat about James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. This 1956 classic tells the story of a young American navigating his Parisian life and relationship with a man named Giovanni. We discuss the novel’s main character David and his relationships while unpacking the story’s topics of sexual identity, the idea of masculinity and internalized homophobia. In our segment Top or Flop, we tell...

In this month's episode, we dive into S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders , a coming-of-age novel that redefined young adult fiction - written by a young adult, for young adults. We explore the tensions between the Greasers and the Socs, unpack Ponyboy’s search for identity, and discuss the novel’s themes of class, loyalty, and belonging. Join us as we revisit this classic story and reflect on if and...

The Age of Innocence, published in 1920, earned Edith Wharton the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - making her the first woman to win the prize. The story is set in the 1870s, in upper-class Gilded Age New York City. With a 1993 film adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring a star cast and a new Netflix adaptation in the works, The Age of Innocence is more present than ever. Your hosts - bo...

Published in 1847, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë was a controversial work to say the least! More than 100 years later it is considered one of the greatest novels of the English classics canon. In this episode we discuss our tragic heroes Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and how - despite the frequent depiction in pop culture as such - this is everything but a love story! Wuthering Heights by...

We turned 30! Aaand we have now known each other for 15 years. To celebrate both these milestones we thought it would be fitting to share 30 books that have moved us, shaped us and inspired us through the years! Have you read any of the books we shared? Fanny's Picks: The Penderwicks / Jeanne Birdsall The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose / Mary Hooper Before I Fall / Lauren Oliver A Gre...

It was been a busy few months but our reading hasn't suffered! We're back with a Shelf-Care episode, sharing some high- and lowlights of the first 6 months of reading! We talk Leigh Bardugo, Emily Henry, Bridgerton and everything in between! How has your first half of the year been? Make sure to follow us on Instagram @throughthepagespod to vote on our next classic - spoiler: it's a ve...

We are reviewing the good, the bad, the new and the (un)honourable mentions of our Q1 reading experience! We're back on the Whodunnit train, do love ourselves some historical fiction and share one honourable and one unhonourable mention to end these first 3 months of reading in 2024. Titles mentioned: The English Understand Wool by Helen deWitt Book Lovers by Emily Henry In Memoriam: A Novel b...

Our most enchanted episode yet - or is it? In this episode, we tackle our first fairy tale and chat about a story we probably all know: Cinderella. But if your first thoughts upon hearing this are Disney, glass slipper and happily ever after, you're in for a surprise. The original story, put into writing by the Brothers Grimm in 1812/15 in their collection of tales is slightly... bloodier and...

After we both had a great reading year in 2023, we’re excited about all the bookish discoveries we’ll make in 2024. In this episode we chat about our reading intentions for the coming year, the books we’re looking forward to, what we’d like to read more of, and why we started the year with a bunch of short reads (short books for the win!). Books mentioned in the episode 📚 My Cousin Rachel by Daph...

For the 100th anniversary of Kafka's death, we have decided to feature him on our podcast for a second time. This time with the absurd, cruel, and creepy novella about Gregor Samsa's terrifying awakening. We talk about the elephant in the room and what it could mean and chat about why this particular story was particularly disturbing. Let us know what you think! Have you read it? Did you p...

We all know the story, a lot of us grew up with it: Alice and her fun little trip to Wonderland. But, if like us, you’ve never actually read the story, this one’s for you! Tag along as we go down the rabbit hole and try to wrap our head around Lewis Caroll’s novel that was first published in 1865. We chat about Alice’s unsettling trip and the characters she meets on the way, tackle the novel’s pro...

One of the most well known Bildungsromane, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë follows the life of the title character from one unfortunate event to the next. In this episode we talk about how this 1847 classic still translates well into our current time and inner monologues and how Rochester might make the top 5 worst men in literary history!

Perhaps the most anticipated episode of our podcast - at least definitely for one of our hosts. We discuss her favourite classic, Dracula by Bram Stoker. The 1897 novel introduced the famous father of all vampires and has since doubtlessly influenced every narrative of "The Undead" that we can think of. Join us as we take a trip to Transylvania and chat about vampirism, the novel's m...

The wait is over! Mike Flanagan's new gothic horror miniseries "The Fall of the House of Usher" if finally out on Netflix - and if you can't already tell: we're excited. The series is loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name (first published in 1839), so of course we had to go back to the original material and explore this classic short story! If a...

Though Truman Capote describes socialite Holly Golightly as being “top banana in the shock department” in his 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s - we beg to differ. In this episode we discuss Breakfast at Tiffany’s, try to make sense of its main character (and creepy narrator), chat about what did not sit right with us when reading, how the novella inspired the iconic Audrey Hepburn film - and of...

It is considered one of the most outstanding crime novels of the 20th century, so we had to read it! We're discussing The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) and have contrasting opinions on its "enjoyability", realise there is no postman in it and talk about why it must have caused shock waves back in the 30s. What did you think of it? Have you seen the adaptations? Follow us @through...

Our very first Salinger and let's just say it might not have been our favourite classic so far. We discuss the different times of publications, how they would both make for amazing plays and why we did enjoy Franny more than Zooey! (& why thanks to Jack Edwards, we knew it was pronounced "Z-oo-ey" and not "Zoe-y"). Have you read it? What did you think? Let us know! Foll...

We are finally discussing the mother of all dark-academia books! The Secret History by Donna Tartt is undoubtedly a Modern American Classic and we are here to dissect the dynamics between characters, how horrible everyone is and how we wish we were as eloquent as Mother Tartt. What are your thoughts on this Secret History? Follow us @throughthepagespod on Instagram and TikTok to get in touch and t...

You may know The Haunting of Hill House from the acclaimed TV series - but at the heart of that adaptation is the 1959 gothic horror novel by American author Shirley Jackson. Considered to be the ghost story of the 20th century, this classic is a story about (yes, you guessed it) a haunted house and four characters determined to get to the bottom of the paranormal happenings. We chat about the nov...

We’re starting 2023 with an Australin classic (our first!) - Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. First published in 1967, this novel has an intriguing premise: The year is 1900 and a group of students from an all girls boarding ventures to Hanging Rock for a cosy afternoon picnic. But the outing takes a dark turn when three students and a teacher vanish into thin air… We chat about the novel’s...

In this pre-Holidays episode, we disucss The Queen of Crime, the creator of the modern Murder Mystery and the woman who mastered the Whodunnit. We each read the other's favourite Christie novel and discussed why we love them, our favourite adaptations and if we're team Poirot or Marple. Tune in, and let us know which cosy crime story is your favourite?

We read the classic of classics and feature our first author repetition. We are talking "Animal Farm"! 🐽 How to sum up a novella that is packed with political messaging, the psychology of humans, and heavy themes? We've given it our best shot and were able to feature some listener questions! Thank you for submitting them. If you want to chat about the books we disucss here, follow us on @throught...

🎃 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 👻 - It's Halloween, which is why today's special episode is a spine chilling horror novella straight out of Germany. E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Sandman was published in 1816 but is as creepy as ever! The figure of the Sandman has accompanied us throughout history and Hoffmann surely had a big influence on the dark side of this mythical character of European folklore. This short st...

We couldn't start a podcast about classics and never read a Sherlock Holmes story! For this installment, we read the third of Conan Doyle's four novels and arguably the most loved and most famous one: The Hound of the Baskervilles. And don't worry, there were no spoilers about the ending! Originally serialised in "The Strand Magazine" from 1901 to 1902, this tale has got it all. A supernatural who...