Novel Pairings

Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. Each episode we’ll discuss one classic book and share some recommendations for more contemporary reads that feature similar themes. As two nerdy bookworms, we appreciate the role of classic lit, but we but we won’t get too academic about it. We’ll talk about the books we love and the books we loath, and help stock your TBR pile with old and new reads for every literary taste.

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19. Short Story Club: All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury and descriptive dystopian novels

July 14, 2020 43:57

Today, in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are chatting about “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Brudbury. This short story is about a group of young schoolchildren living on Venus, who have never seen the sun in their lifetime. It’s about sacrifice, the pain of nostalgia, bullying. It’s super short but packed with stunning detail and emotion. Our discussion includes:

Bradbury’s descriptive language [11:07]
That ending! We love an ambiguous ending. [15:34]
Themes of sustainability and climate change [18:40]

Plus, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with this story, including an award-winning fantasy and a dystopian YA novel.

Past short story episodes:

“Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton

Mentions:

Fahrenheit 451 film

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life

The Hunger Games

The October Country by Ray Bradbury

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Pairing spoilers ahead!

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Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Martian by Andy Weir [30:12] & Artemis by Andy Weir [30:50]

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin [33:39]

The Dry by Jane Harper [37:30]

Sara’s Pairings:

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah [31:42]

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman [35:22]

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [38:58]