I’m not going to sugarcoat this: for the last several years, I’ve been reading works of classic literature out loud and commenting on them as I go. Every half hour or so, I stop reading and commenting, then release what I’ve read that week in podcast form. The podcast is called “Obscure.” It’s a terrible idea, but one to which I have, unfortunately, committed.
Here's how I choose the books I read: first of all, I am not allowed to have read the book before. Second, I must have no interest in reading it. That’s pretty much it. So far, I have read three (3) books in this manner. If you count each book as a single season and do the math, that equals three (3) seasons. Friends, I am about to start the fourth season.
Here are the books I have read to this point:
Season 1: Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Season 2: Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
Season 3: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (there’s supposed to be a little two dotty thing over the “e” but I don’t know how to find that particular special character and I didn’t like the book enough to look for it.)
Season 4: ???
I haven’t released the title yet, but I can tell you that it will be an American author and an American book. Season 3 was supposed to be an American author but I mistakenly thought the Bronte sisters were American, which goes to show you the depth of my knowledge regarding classic literature.
Now, I know that most of you will not want to listen to even one (1) of these episodes and, believe me, I understand. If it were me being pitched this idea by you, I would say, “No thank you.” The audience for this podcast is small. That’s part of this reason the podcast is called “Obscure.” (The other part of the reason is that it was a nice play on our Season 1 book title. And also because I myself have grown increasingly obscure.)
So that’s it. As I said, Season 4 is about to start. New episodes come out every Friday. I’d love to have you join us, mostly because I have to pay for the production and, as it is, I’m losing money on this endeavor.
To join the (small but mighty) Obscure community, click here.
Or go to: https://www.patreon.com/michaelianblack
Looking forward to it, woohoo!!!
I am very much not a podcast person, a fact I accepted after many many tries. But I saw this post yesterday and started listening to the first season and I got completely sucked in. I love being read aloud to and MIB’s asides and insights are usually hilarious and surprisingly thoughtful. I love to read but have never considered myself a close or analytical reader and having different ideas pointed out as we go has kept me interested in a story I would have immediately given up on by myself. And the interviews that relate back to the themes! I’m very excited that I have so many episodes ahead of me.