Patron-Only AMA Questions December 2025

I know from some comments you've made in prior videos that huge doorstop-esque novels aren't really your thing, but you HAVE to do The Brothers Karamazov and East of Eden, any plans to hit either of them in 2026 already? Also have you read anything from Benjamín Labatut? I think you would really enjoy both 'When We Cease To Understand The World' and 'The MANIAC'.

Would love to hear some of your thoughts on ”Difficult” literature (requiring reading guides, explanatory notes, etc). Is it something you enjoy (reading becoming almost like puzzle-solving) or do you generally prefer the prose to be clear and sufficient on the page? Do you select books on this basis as well? Love the show.

What is your favorite film adaptation of a novel, and what do you think it gets right as an ‘adaptation’, not just as a film?

If you could pick any time or place to go back to (real or ficticious) like the protagonist in Midnight in Paris, where and when would you choose? Why?

Any plans to review Lord of the Rings? I know there are many long books on your TBR. The Hobbit would be quick, though.

I really like listening to you on a podcast. Have you ever considered on starting a Better than food podcast? What do you think about people who are scared of driving cars?

Hi Cliff, I recently wrote a paper on “To The Cloud Juggler” and why, while it certainly isn’t a perfect poem, it’s been so readily dismissed among Hart Crane scholars. Something I picked up on was how much tidal imagery there is throughout—and most importantly, an appreciation for how the sun affects the tides. That Crosby quote, “He is of the Sea as I am of the Sun,” was particularly interesting to write about in this light. The poem’s a bit of a mess, but both the third stanza and those final two lines after the speaker has spent so long extolling the sun, adopting Crosby’s obsession, are just lethally touching. I’ve noticed that there are occasionally pieces of art that are affecting precisely because they’re fresh, raw, unpolished. Like a demo recording that ends up getting so much closer to ‘the real thing’ than the final, studio product. What books or works of art have you encountered that worked for you because they were rough? On the other side, what books have you encountered that were off-putting because they felt too perfect?

Hi Cliff, any plans in the future to read and review any diaries, essay or short story collections?

Any plans to read Slaughterhouse Five?

Before you read Story of the Eye, was there any books you were keen on adapting into a film? And is there anything you've read in recent years that you think would really suit a film adaptation?

Since, if I remember correctly, you're a fan of Tony Bourdain: do you enjoy cooking? If so, is there any cuisine you particularly enjoy cooking or eating?

Two questions: Did someone already ask if you consider AI a threatening or helpful technology relative to reviewing literature? And....if no one has asked, do you consider AI a threatening or helpful technology relative to reviewing literature?

Hey Cliff, I always end up trying to guess the books on your shelf during your reviews. I was wondering if you’d ever give a bookshelf tour, or whether you’d like it to remain a mystery

What life advice would you give to your 25 year old self?