Saul Bellow’s comic, yet philosophical novel Henderson the Rain King is Jay’s most lovable novel this week for his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language. Henderson’s mid-life crisis and the resulting international journey leads to a greater exploration of his own inner self. Chaos Reader checks in on her progress reading a biography of Gerald Ford (still).

Jay’s lovable novel this episode is AMERICAN PASTORAL by Philip Roth, in which the hero, Seymour “Swede” Levov, struggles to understand his life in late 20th century America, and how the 1960s still reach into his family to trouble and unsettle him and those he loves. Chaos Reader introduces a new book she’s just picked up, one of Trollope’s Victorian-era Palliser novels, to fulfill her goal of having a long-book reading year.

NOTE: Jay erred when he called Swede’s wife, “Donna.” Her name in the novel is “Dawn.”

Jay makes his case that The Crying of Lot 49 is the most lovable of Thomas Pynchon’s novels as he dives into the plot of the 1966 conspiracy-theory, suspenseful novel. (It’s also Pynchon’s shortest novel.) Chaos Reader checks in on the progress she’s making in Kawabata’s The Sound of the Mountain.

This week, Jay’s pick is the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange, which focuses on a violent teen subculture and a dystopian society’s attempt at reformation. Chaos Reader updates her progress on the biography she’s reading of Gerald Ford.

Jay’s entry this week to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language is Thomas Hardy’s 1892 novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and it raises issues 21st century readers are still grappling with. Chaos Reader discusses her reading goals for 2026.

A NOTE ON THE SOUND: We discovered a mic issue after we recorded, so we know the sound is off on this one, but it wasn’t possible to fix in editing. We apologize and hope you’ll stick with this episode anyway.

This week’s entry on Jay’s list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language is William Makepeace Thackeray’s VANITY FAIR, often considered the Victorian domestic novel that kicked off this sub-genre of fiction. Jay talks about why he has so much affection for the 1848 book that follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley through British society. Chaos Reader checks in on the biography she’s reading of Gerald Ford.

Jay chose Anthony Doerr’s CLOUD CUCKOO LAND for this episode’s lovable novel. While the plot sounded a bit wackadoodle to Stacey, Doerr’s deft ability to link the book’s different narratives to a common theme that booklovers can relate to makes an effective case for its lovability. Chaos Reader discusses her personal reaction to being in a musical based on Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel GULLIVER’S TRAVELS is Jay’s pick this week for his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language, and Stacey admits she had a very narrow view of what the book was like to read or what it is really about. (Spoiler: It’s not a children’s story.) Chaos Reader discusses a recent New Yorker essay that made an impact on her.