The Reader and the Writer

Welcome to our final episode of Frankenstein. In this episode, Shari and Rhea revisit the nesting narrative, also called framing. They examine each frame through the lens of several different themes and motifs. They ask what ideas they see repeatedly, and how the characters express the various themes. They talk about Shelley’s exploration of love through the pairing of different characters together, and how Victor and the Creature combine in such a way that desecrates love as well as one another. They discuss the significance of names in Frankenstein, and the extra-significance of the De Lacey family at the center of the story. And they circle back around on earlier discussions about creators and creations, not taking responsibility for what we make, not “killing our darlings” when we should, and the ways we end up with monsters of our own making.
Journal Prompts for Frankenstein:
Rhea had some excellent reflective questions we didn’t have time to discuss. I (Shari) would like to offer them here as journal prompts in case you’d like to do some final noodling over Frankenstein.
* On Creation: What does Shelley want me to notice about creation? About my relationship with creation? My responsibility to creation? My responsibility to what I create?
* On Companionship: What does Shelley want me to notice about companionship? About my expectations about companionship? My responsibilities within companionship?
* On Love: What does Shelley want me to notice about love?
We’d love to hear your thoughts or discoveries on any of the above. And if Frankenstein spurred you on to consider other big ideas, please share these, too!
Our next slow read is Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner. We will be reading it over four weeks. Our first episode will drop March 10th. No new episodes will air between now and then. Great time to catch up on your Middlemarch reading!
If you need a refresher of our 2026 reading list, you can find it here:
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Welcome to Middlemarch, Book One.
In this first “reading” episode of Middlemarch, Rhea and Shari dive headlong into the world of early-1800’s provencial England. They spend a great amount of time discussing the story’s witty, critical, big-hearted narrator. They examine the text for understanding how they are meant to feel about Casaubon, though they already know exactly how they feel about Casaubon. They talk about Dorthea as viewed from various points of view—especially her sister, Celia’s. They look at where the narrator offers us a critical eye, a wide lens, and always a quick witt. Rhea wonders if she’ll even be able to find a character she’ll love to hate. Shari declares Celia is her hero.
If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to read through R&W’s Middlemarch page. It’s full of great stuff:

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Welcome to R&W’s second episode of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. In this episode, Shari and Rhea dive deeper into the complexities and questions begged by the nested narrative style of the story, Shelley’s use of nature as a metaphor and motif, the use of counterpoints in every character as they relate to Victor, the many Great Conversations embedded in Volume 2, a continued study of humans’ duties toward the works of our hands, and their severe discomfort at the Creature’s lack of a name.
The final Frankenstein episode will air Tuesday, February 10th. (This is one week off the original reading schedule, due to inclement weather.)
Here is a link to Rhea’s Frankenstein Reading Guide:
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“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, that he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”
—Victor Frankenstein to Capt. Walton (p 41, 1818 version)

Welcome to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, R&W’s first deep read for 2026. In this episode, Shari and Rhea do a brief introduction to Mary Shelley herself, and those aspects of her life they can see informing aspects of the Frankenstein tale They talk about their experience reading the 1818 and 1831 versions side-by-side. They discuss the epistolary style of the narrative, the motifs they see, and the horrible moment of Victor Frankenstein’s creation coming to life. They talk about our own making and ask what responsibility we hold to that which we make: from marriage, home and children, to careers, inventions, and those physical works of our hands.
All this, and they barely scratched the surface.
Make sure to look at Rhea’s Reading Guide for Frankenstein:
It's full of great resources, the reading schedule, Middlemarch connections, and bookmarks, of course! :)
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Welcome to Middlemarch! In this episode, Shari and Rhea lay the groundwork for R&W’s first yearish-long read. They discuss the author, George Eliot, the origin story of Middlemarch, and all the things they will be looking for while they read. Oh, and they try and figure out exactly what “provincial” means.
To find the reading schedule, bookmarks, and other resources mentioned in the podcast, visit R&W’s Middlemarch page:

For a list of R&W’s entire 2026 year of reading click here:

Thanks for listening to this episode of The Reader & the Writer! If you liked this episode, ❤️ it and share it with a friend.

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