How's the Water?

Gary and Siena get elemental as they round off their European literature series with the brilliant Italian writer Primo Levi and his collection of short stories, which unexpectedly and elegantly combine his love of chemistry with his struggles during the rise and fall of fascism in Italy.Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

Gary and Siena piece together Georges Perec's W, or The Memory of Childhood, exploring themes of false memories and the loss of identity stemming from the author's experiences as a young boy in France amid The Holocaust.Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

Gary and Siena are back with an overdue deep dive into Italian writer Francesca Duranti's complex and charming novella, which covers the themes of multiple articulations of being, "otherness", and the acceptance of diversity in just 118 pages. And don't hesitate to get in touch with what you think of bidets.Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

Gary and Siena take on the Icelandic masterpiece Independent People by Nobel Prize winning writer Halldór Laxness, known as The Tolstoy of the North! Join them as they discuss the nature of independence, innocence and isolation against the backdrop of a rural life during the turmoil of the early 20th century. Bring coffee. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

Gary and Siena explore the smells and peculiarities of 18th century France through Patrick Süskind's historical fantasy novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.  Plus smelly coworker stories and a review of the German series featured on Netflix!Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

As Gary and Siena bid adieu to the Brontës, they discuss a (fictional) book that paints Charlotte as a stone-cold murderous control freak and attempt to separate fact from fiction. Plus poems! Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! 

Gary and Siena continue to unwind the complicated plot of Wuthering Heights and explore a deeper analysis of the characters and themes. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! Music: Secrets of Plants by Lobo LocoFrom Free Music ArchiveCC BY NC

In Part 1 of the examination of Emily Brontë's only finished novel, Gary and Siena share what they have learned about the reclusive author, explore an alternate Heathcliff origin story, and discuss the famous 1939 film. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast for updates on future episodes!

Gary and Siena discuss Anne Brontë's much underrated (in their esteemed opinion) classic, including typical 19th century women problems and horrible needy jealousy.Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast to stay up to date on future episodes! 

Our hosts look in depth at Charlotte Bronte and her most famous novel. They also examine the under appreciated hard work of Grace Poole before wondering whether Jane’s altruism is her biggest drawback.