How do you wrap up a great book? in this episode, Paul and Trevor dive into the final sentences that left them stunned, satisfied, or haunted. From quiet farewells to explosive conclusions, we’re celebrating the art of the last line—and how a final passage can reshape everything that came before.
What’s a last line that you’ll never forget?
We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:
Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro
Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor
Episode 135: William Faulkner
Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor
Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz
There’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!
Join the Mookse and the Gripes on Discord
Want to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.
We’re also just now in our second novella book club, where we're reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.
Shownotes
Books
The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin
The Bell, by Iris Murdoch
The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch
Miaow, by Benito Pérez Galdós, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
Tristana, by Benito Pérez Galdós, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ulysses, by James Joyce
Augustus, by John Williams
Butcher’s Crossing, by John Williams
Stoner, by John Williams
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
The Dead, by James Joyce
Finnegans Wake, by James Joyce
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce
Swann’s Way, by Marcel Proust
A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West, by Cormac McCarthy
The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Black Prince, by Iris Murdoch
The Green Knight, by Iris Murdoch
To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf
Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
The Member of the Wedding, by Carson McCullers
My Ántonia, by Willa Cather
The Transit of Venus, by Shirley Hazzard
Other
The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!
A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out!
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