Show notes
This book contains a content warning for loss of a child.Welcome back to Reading Between Deadlines, the podcast where we read with the kind of unhinged energy usually reserved for deadline week meltdowns. In this episode, Rachael Johns and Anthea Hodgson attempt to unpack the cult favourite Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapidoâa book thatâs been praised by literary giants and passionately pushed into readersâ hands since 1982.And yet... we didnât love it. In fact, we might get cancelled.In this episode, we cover:đ Is this a feminist classic⊠or just a snobby book with a confusing cast of J-names?đ¶ That baby loss twist: gut-wrenching shock or tonal whiplash?đ§Œ The Goldman familyâlovably eccentric or absolutely exhausting?đł Roger, Jonathan, John, Jake, Janeâwhy does everyone in this book have the same name?đ€ Catherine: hot mess, sad snob, or just aggressively beige?đ· Plus: how many wines does it take to realise youâve skipped 40 pages?And, of course, we rate it: Kiss, Kill, or Marry?â° Timestamps00:30 â This weekâs pick: Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido03:00 â Rachael loses her place and 40 pages in New Zealand (relatable content)08:00 â The literary world LOVES this book. Do weâŠ?11:00 â The rules: no influencing, just instincts (and the kiss, marry, kill rating)14:00 â Catherine Brown: the protagonist we didnât need and still donât understand19:30 â Is this book feminist? (Spoiler: probably not)23:00 â Snobbery, elitism, and emotional detachmentâare we just not clever enough to get it?28:10 â Confusing names, weird family dynamics, and public cervix announcements33:00 â Have we evolved since 1982? (Yes. But also⊠maybe not.)35:00 â Reading regret and the weight of literary expectationsđ Listen now, subscribe, and tell usâdo you believe in the hype, or are you secretly glad someone else finally said âmehâ? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com
