Shows
How's the Water?Finnegans Wake: Come to Our Midden Heap!Gary and Siena tackle James Joyce's final and most convoluted work of fiction, Finnegan's Wake! Are you up to attempting this colossus? And how can you do that without letting it drive you nuts? Featuring an entertaining plot reveal, comparisons to Ulysses, and a talking butt amongst a cast of colourful characters. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes!
2022-01-2851 minHow's the Water?Agnes Grey: Poor and HappyGary and Siena return to their favourite Brontë sister with Agnes Grey, the autobiographical debut novel of Anne Brontë. Our hosts draw comparisons between this book and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, as well as the works of Anne's more well-known sisters - also, briefly, Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers . Featuring stories about their worst ever jobs, and references to Charlotte Brontë's (allegedly) malicious nature. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes!
2021-12-2244 minHow's the Water?Dracula: This Airbnb Sucks!In a very spooky Halloween edition of How's the Water?, Gary and Siena cover one of Siena's favourite books, Dracula by Bram Stoker. Is it as scary as she remembers? How does Van Helsing get back and forth to Amsterdam so quickly? And would being a vampire really be all that bad? Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes!
2021-10-2850 minHow's the Water?White Teeth: Coincidence Wins Y2KGary and Siena discuss the coolness of Zadie Smith, multicultural Britain and great transitions in her debut and award winning novel, White Teeth. Also included: memories of the Great Storm of October 1987 and Gary feels attacked by the depiction of the middle class Chalfens.Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes!
2021-10-0352 minHow's the Water?House of Leaves: Laughs and ScreamsGary and Siena relive their postmodern nightmares as they examine Mark Z. Danielewski's bestselling novel House of Leaves. Featuring light trash talk, some spooky music and a shout out to Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return. Follow us on Instagram at @howsthewaterpodcast or on Twitter at @whatiswater for more content and updates about future episodes! Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4590-virtutes-instrumentiLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
2021-08-3047 minHow's the Water?The Periodic Table: Argon, Potassium, Nickel, VanadiumGary 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!
2021-07-3159 minHow's the Water?W: A Shadow Amongst Their ShadowsGary 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!
2021-06-1341 minHow's the Water?Left-Handed Dreams: Logical QuicksandGary 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!
2021-05-1349 minHow's the Water?Independent People: Shared StubbornnessGary 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!
2021-03-0352 minHow's the Water?Perfume: Scents and the CityGary 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!
2021-02-0353 minHow's the Water?The Brontë Sisters: Don't Drink the Water!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!
2021-01-1944 minHow's the Water?Wuthering Heights Part 2: Unquiet SlumbersGary 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
2021-01-0634 minHow's the Water?Wuthering Heights Part 1: We've Done Us All a FavourIn 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!
2020-12-3046 minHow's the Water?The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Always Listen to Your AuntGary 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!
2020-10-3149 minHow's the Water?Jane Eyre: She Should've Gone to MadeiraOur 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.
2020-10-051h 03How's the Water?Introducing: The Brontë SeriesGary and Siena introduce and discuss their upcoming four-part series, focusing on the lives and works of the Brontë sisters. Featuring snazzy music, US/UK accent problems, and the village of Howarth, Yorkshire.
2020-09-2607 min