Sam and Tex take a break from their Throne of Glass journey to explore Dennis Johnson's haunting novella Train Dreams. This "palate cleanser" episode dives deep into the story of Robert Grainier, a day laborer in the early 20th century American West who faces profound loss when wildfire claims his wife and infant daughter.

What We Discuss:

• Dennis Johnson's remarkable range as a writer and his journey from homelessness to literary acclaim
• Why Train Dreams should have won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize (spoiler: they didn't choose a winner that year)
• The mythic loneliness of frontier life and how Johnson captures the end of an era
• How this novella manages to be both heartbreaking and hopeful
• The beautiful, spare prose that makes every sentence count
• Comparisons to The Old Man and the Sea and Lonesome Dove
• Why library book dog-earers should face federal prison time (strong opinions ahead)

The Book:

Train Dreams follows Robert Grainier through decades of solitary life in the Idaho Panhandle, from railroad work to devastating personal loss to the slow encroachment of modernity on the American wilderness. Johnson's masterful storytelling transforms an ordinary man's life into something mythic and deeply moving.

Perfect for fans of literary fiction, Western literature, and anyone who appreciates beautiful, understated storytelling.

Next up: Back to Queen of Shadows and more fantasy draft predictions for the Throne of Glass series.

We survived Heir of Fire—barely. In this episode, we tackle the slow start, the suddenly NASCAR-paced second half, and the very real problem of every man in this book purring. We talk cousin love, messiah complexes, flying witches, bubble battles, and the unkillable fantasy dog. Plus: why the ending felt like a CW fever dream, and what it means when your protagonist is too perfect to care about.

Also featuring:

• Star Wars tangents
• Below Deck fanfic
• YA fantasy scorecards
• And our next read: Train Dreams by Denis Johnson.

Chapters 1–35 of Heir of Fire are in the books, and we're here to talk trauma bonding, wyvern ethics, and why the witches are carrying the narrative weight. We break down the endless setup, the purr count (eight, if you're asking), and whether Celaena is a queen or just a YA fever dream. Also: Rowan might be Tarzan, Chaol broods, and yes—we have strong opinions about fantasy maps. Welcome back to Couple Guys Reading, the only podcast brave enough to compare East of Eden to a Sarah J. Maas novel.

Watch the Episode on YouTube!