Good Scribes Only

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fiction books can help us explore world's outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Seventh stop, Asia!  We hope you enjoy this discussion about '1Q84' by Haruki Murakami.About the BookThis was our biggest disagreement yet, and widest split in rankings. Murakami's most ambitious work is love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s 1984. The book was an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of the most revered contemporary writers. About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along and can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview.Episodes Notes0-5 min — Introduction feelings5-10 min — Murakami’s style10-20 min — Casting the “movie”20-25 min — Book I and Book II Plot summary25-30 min — On the author30-35 min — The best chapter35-40 min — Book III summary40-45 min — Religion and Power45-50 min — Passages on writing and ghostwriting50-55 min — Problems with the book55-60 min — Style of the novel60-66 min — Conclusion and Rating WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania!  We hope you enjoy this discussion about 'Celestial Bodies' by Jokha Alharthi.About the BookIn the village of al-Awafi, Oman, we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries following a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a feeling of duty; and Khawla, who refuses all marital offers and awaits a reunion with her true love, who has moved to Canada. Against the backdrop of a country modernizing from a traditional, slave-owning society, we follow the losses and love affairs of these three women and their families. Through the sisters, we’re provided a panoramic view into Omani society from the poorest slaves to the families who profited off capitalism, globalism, and modernization. Spread over several decades and generations, the narrative structure is both original and impressive and is a prime example of the beauty and power of fictional storytelling.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along and can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania!  We hope you enjoy this discussion about 'Celestial Bodies' by Jokha Alharthi.About the BookIn the village of al-Awafi, Oman, we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries following a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a feeling of duty; and Khawla, who refuses all marital offers and awaits a reunion with her true love, who has moved to Canada. Against the backdrop of a country modernizing from a traditional, slave-owning society, we follow the losses and love affairs of these three women and their families. Through the sisters, we’re provided a panoramic view into Omani society from the poorest slaves to the families who profited off capitalism, globalism, and modernization. Spread over several decades and generations, the narrative structure is both original and impressive and is a prime example of the beauty and power of fictional storytelling.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along and can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview.Episode Notes0-5 min — Introductory thoughts5-15 min — Casting the actors15-20 min — Title and broader significance20-25 min — Tradition vs Progress25-30 min — The three sisters30-35 min — On arranged vs choice marriages35-40 min — Kowla’s self-deceit40-45 min — Subtle power of women in the community45-50 min — Self-acceptance vs resignation from social roles50-55 min — Conclusion and structure of the novel55-60 min — Thoughts on the book WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

Hosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview.This episode is a follow up to this week's  discussion about The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard FlanaganIf you missed it, here's that episode Cheat Sheet WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Often, fictional stories can help us explore worlds outside our own, take us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allow us to widen our perspective. Fifth stop, Oceania!  We hope you enjoy this discussion about 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' by Richard Flanagan.About the Book🦘 Welcome to Australia. This week we read The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a book about war’s cruelties as well as the impossibility of love. The novel follows a single day in the life of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor working as a slave in a Japanese labor camp in 1943. The novel jumps around in time and setting, journeying from Tokyo to the Burma railway, from the caves of Tasmania to a pre-war beachside hotel, ultimately providing the reader a view into just how challenging it can be to find meaning and love after an intense war experience.In this episode Dan and I discuss memory, time, the dual nature of man, art, eastern vs western culture, ethnocentrism, and the challenge of love. It’s a dark, intense, poetically written book and a great stop for the Australia episode of this season.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. We hope you enjoy this discussion about The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard FlanaganEpisode Cheat SheetEpisode Notes:0-5 min — Squirrel gate!5-10 min — Book introduction10-15 min — Casting the movie15-22 min — Plot summary22-25 min — Novel’s structure25-30 min — On memory30-35 min — Post-war treatment of enemies35-40 min — Dorrigo’s affair40-45 min — Dorrigo’s struggles45-50 min — Philosophies behind the novel50-55 min — Fame and reality55-60 min — Final thoughts  WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Fourth stop, North America!  WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Fourth stop, North America! About the BookPublished in 1939 and set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the Grapes of Wrath follows one family's repeated collisions with the hard realities of America at the time, and what emerges is an intensely human yet majestic, tragic, stirring view into those who find (or fail to find) dignity in hard times. A snapshot of the tension between high and low class Americans, of one man’s inspired responses to injustice, and one woman’s unyielding courage, the novel probes the very core of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic tale, road novel, social commentary, and philosophical discussion, Steinbeck’s magnum opus  may be the most American book in the canon of North America's best literature.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. We hope you enjoy this discussion about Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.Episode Notes0-5 min — Introductory comments5-10 min — Background on the time10-15 min — Casting our movie15-20 min — Character introductions20-30 min — Religion and runaway capitalism30-35 min — The “fambly” leaves Oklahoma35-40 min — California and the American dream40-45 min — Classism in Grapes of Wrath45-50 min — The family struggles in California50-55 min — Themes and devastating conclusion55-60 min — Title meaning and final thoughts60-65 min — Ratings and conclusion WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

You don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literatureThis weeks book: The President by Miguel Angel Asturias is as ruthless as it is hilarious. It chronicles the tale of a cruel dictator and his plots to eliminate just about every political opponent in his path. The book has long been lauded as one of, if not the greatest, depiction of the harmful affects of totalitarianism within a country, and its people. In The President, Asturias draws from personal experience as a journalist in an oppressive time in Guatemala's history, but it's not as dark as some other books we've discussed. He uses humor, satire, and absurdism to illustrate the kinds of governmental transgressions he dealt with, and how living in a police state warps an individual’s psyche. Asturias was famously outspoken against all forms of injustice in Guatemala, and it earned him a reputation that brought both awards and imprisonment. But the man was clearly a trailblazer for his time: In his Nobel Prize for Literature acceptance speech, for example, Asturias vowed that his work would "continue to reflect the voice of the Latin American people and their problems." Part satire, part who-dunnit crime drama, part social commentary, The President is a great read for anyone interested in social commentary and/or in that bizarre (and unfortunate) moment in Latin American history.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. We hope you enjoy this discussion about The President by Miguel Angel Asturias  WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature. Third stop, Guatemala! The President by Miguel Angel Asturias is as ruthless as it is hilarious. It chronicles the tale of a cruel dictator and his plots to eliminate just about every political opponent in his path. The book has long been lauded as one of, if not the greatest, depiction of the harmful affects of totalitarianism within a country, and its people. In The President, Asturias draws from personal experience as a journalist in an oppressive time in Guatemala's history, but it's not as dark as some other books we've discussed. He uses humor, satire, and absurdism to illustrate the kinds of governmental transgressions he dealt with, and how living in a police state warps an individual’s psyche. Asturias was famously outspoken against all forms of injustice in Guatemala, and it earned him a reputation that brought both awards and imprisonment. But the man was clearly a trailblazer for his time: In his Nobel Prize for Literature acceptance speech, for example, Asturias vowed that his work would "continue to reflect the voice of the Latin American people and their problems." Part satire, part who-dunnit crime drama, part social commentary, The President is a great read for anyone interested in social commentary and/or in that bizarre (and unfortunate) moment in Latin American history.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. We hope you enjoy this discussion about The President by Miguel Angel Asturias Episode Notes0-5 min — Intro5-15 min — Casting the movie10-15 min — Part 1 plot summary15-20 min — Why use humor?20-25 min — Depiction of totalitarianism25-30 min — Viewing culture from the outside30-35 min — Character overview35-40 min — Part 2 plot summary40-45 min — Political history in Latin America45-50 min — The power of fiction50-55 min — Plot conclusion55-60 min — Wrap up WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website

About the EpisodeIn this episode Dan and Jeremy share personal experiences around traveling and doing business as Americans on the African continentYou don’t always need a plane ticket to travel; sometimes, all you need is a book. Fiction allows us explore worlds beyond our own, taking us out of life’s everyday tangles, and allowing us to move forward with a wider perspective. So rather than travel physically, Good Scribes Only is traveling to Europe, Africa, Central America, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia by way of literature.This weeks book: 'Paradise' by Abdulrazak Gurnah  is at once the story of an African boy's coming of age, a tragic love story, and a tale of the corruption of traditional African patterns by European colonialism. It presents a major African voice to western readers, depicting how Africans had to adjust to the new reality of European colonialism. The result is a page-turning saga that covers the same territory as the novels of Isak Dinesen and William Boyd, but does so from a perspective never before available on that seldom-chronicled part of the world.About Good Scribes OnlyHosted by novelists and entrepreneurs Daniel Breyer & Jeremy Streich, Good Scribes Only is a podcast for curious minds to explore, challenge, and think differently through books. Sometimes even traveling to a place doesn't permit you to see it for how it really is for those who live there. Fiction, on the other hand, can. And thus, season 3 is about widening our perspective. We hope you're coming along can help do the same. Be sure to check out the Episode Cheat Sheet for an overview. We hope you enjoy this discussion about 'Paradise' by Abdulrazak Gurnah.Good Scribes Only on InstagramFind Jeremy OnlineFind Daniel online WebsiteTikTokInstagramYouTubeNewsletterJeremy's WebsiteDan's Website