Actually Read That: Recent Episodes
Adri and Irene
Cue the English major who hasn't read enough classics and the ex-English major who's tired of Freud. We are two college students who challenge ourselves to the Internet-deemed must-reads in life. Adri and Irene summarize and discuss age-old classics, rate the books, and offer sacrilegious commentary along with random pop culture references. If you enjoy what you hear, also check out our Instagram at @actuallyreadthat_pod for updates and book aesthetics!
An episode about The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a haunting novella examining the duality of human nature that forever canonized Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson as one of the literary greats. Spoiler alert! Between Jekyll and Hyde, we reveal who is actually the evil one through some dramatic reading of the text.
An episode about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a novel written by a 19-year-old woman who wanted to win a scary story contest. Includes the author's scandalous backstory surrounding her husband and friends, livid outbursts against an irresponsible character, and contemplation on the book's exploration of humanity.
An episode about F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise, a debut novel that launched the writing career of a Princeton dropout/literary genius. Includes some bitter envy for college prestige, general bashing of privileged persons, and admiration for a guy who dropped one of his middle names.
*Irene actually meant "bayonet" when she said "baton"
An episode about Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, an epic unfolding of the birth of India.
Warning: Contains a crash course on India's postcolonial history, female posteriors, a giant magical nose, and the general non-existence of the 1001 children of midnight.
An episode about Vladimir Nabokov's controversial classic, Lolita.
Includes speculation on butterfly-hunting, a debate on love and obsession, and awe for a disconcertingly good novel.
Warning: contains some explicit language and discussion on sexual themes, but then, it's Lolita.
An episode about Charlotte Bronte's timeless classic, Jane Eyre.
Warning: Includes some sacrilegious critique on plot and an unrelenting grudge against Mr. Edward Rochester.