Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network

Episode: "The Dead" – Discussion of John Huston's 1987 Adaptation of James Joyce's Short Story

Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Dan and Michael Furey

Episode Overview

This episode features Dan and Michael Furey diving deep into John Huston's film adaptation of James Joyce's "The Dead," the final story in Dubliners. The hosts explore the film’s nuances, the adaptation’s faithfulness and divergences from Joyce’s text, its subtle humor, character dynamics, and the haunting emotional resonance of its closing scenes. They reflect on the universality of themes like memory, mortality, and self-understanding, all while maintaining their characteristic blend of warmth, humor, and literary passion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Adaptation: Book versus Film

• Not Just "Never as Good as the Book":
  • Michael addresses the age-old comparison between adaptations and their source material, noting the richness of Joyce’s original short story, while recognizing how Huston's film brings new experiences to the audience.
  • Quote [02:59] – Michael: "It's never as good as the book. Which in this case ... might actually be true, of course, because I think that that's one of the all time great short stories... But ... once you've watched this movie, you can't say, 'I've never been to a party like that.' Because the movie is the experience of going to a party like that."
• Humor and Humanity:
  • The hosts highlight Joyce's often overlooked humor, commenting on how both media express the warmth, comedy, and lived realities of family life in the early 20th century Ireland.

2. The Film’s Structure and Purpose of the Party Scene

• Nothing Happens vs. Everything Happens
  • Michael and Dan explore the common complaint that "nothing happens" until the end, countering that everything is happening beneath the surface—just not in ways Gabriel perceives.
  • Quote [04:29] – Dan: "Someone could say nothing really happens until the end. But of course, things are happening all the time. It’s just that Gabriel can’t see them."
• Immersive Storytelling:
  • The film’s opening credits and slow introduction serve as an "airlock" that brings viewers into the party’s world and mood.
  • Quote [07:17] – Michael: "It's as though it's trying to separate you... hypnotizing, entrancing, and boring on purpose in a way, in order to cleanse your palate so you can eat dinner."

3. Character Analysis: Gabriel and the Others

• Gabriel’s Inwardness
  • Gabriel is depicted as self-conscious, anxious, and unable to imagine the interior lives of those around him.
  • Quote [08:00] – Dan: "He’s not good at imagining the interior lives of other people. And so that's what the galoshes are all about..."
• Missing Out on Life
  • Michael notes that Gabriel’s focus on control and self-presentation prevents him from relishing the joys of the present, as compared to the more uninhibited partygoers.
  • Quote [09:09] – Michael: "Gabriel seems reluctant to sip the joy of life."

4. Moment of Epiphany & Soundscape of the Film

• Freddy and Emotional Openness
  • Both hosts focus on Freddy’s tender reaction after Aunt Kate sings, contrasting his genuine emotional availability with Gabriel’s emotional distance.
  • Quote [15:49] – Dan: "Freddie’s like, 'I never heard you sing so clearly.' And he’s not being sarcastic... this movie is about who can hear the music."
• Layers of Listening
  • The film uses music both literally and metaphorically—some characters are moved deeply, others remain impervious (Gabriel only truly hears at the very end).

5. Haunting, Memory, and the Past

• Establishing the Past as Present
  • The party setting is crafted in real time, establishing a palpable ‘present’ in which the characters are still haunted by an even deeper past.
  • Quote [19:45] – Michael: "The boys, now, is all palaver and what they can get out of you. ... There's a lot of work done to establish the present moment as the present so that you can deal with the past."
• World-Building
  • Dan likens Joyce’s careful social detail to Tolkien’s fantasy world-building, noting the film's same attention to immersion.

6. The Ending: Revelation, Control, and Vulnerability

• Gabriel’s Epiphany
  • The final scenes reveal Gabriel's lack of true intimacy with his wife Greta and the limits of his understanding, sparked by her confession about youthful love and loss.
  • Quote [22:56] – Dan: "He learns a lot about himself—you know, he's the Archangel Gabriel. ...But there's also Michael, another angel who also comes back with a lot of fury."
  • Quote [23:34] – Dan (on Greta): "You think you know who your wife is... But what if you didn't?... You think your definition of love was actually not the only definition."
• Control, Armor, and Exposure
  • Gabriel’s obsession with controlling both circumstances and perceptions is challenged by a "dead man" who bypasses all his defenses.
  • Quote [24:11] – Michael: "Life is what other people think about me and circumstance. And so if I could control circumstance ... then I can control reality. ... The ultimate reality that you cannot control, of course, is death."
  • Quote [25:43] – Michael: "This movie’s about somebody who thinks he’s got really good armor on. And all of a sudden, he finds out that he is... a dead guy can pierce it."
• Hope and Realism
  • The hosts agree there’s a glimmer of hope for Gabriel's growth, but it will be arduous, slow, and cannot be simply or sentimentally resolved.
  • Flashbacks or visualizations of the past (e.g. Michael Furey at the window) are eschewed in Huston's direction, appropriately keeping Greta’s memory private and mysterious.

7. Art and Mortality

• Dan closes the conversation with the fact that Huston completed the film and died before its release, touching on the enduring power of art.
• Quote [28:39] – Dan: "The only thing that sticks around is art. Thank you, John Huston..."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michael, on adaptation [02:59]:

  • “Once you’ve watched this movie, you can’t say, ‘I’ve never been to a party like that.’ Because the movie is the experience of going to a party like that.”

• Dan, on the film’s emotional impact [23:34]:

  • “You think you know who your wife is... But what if you didn’t?... You think your definition of love was actually not the only definition.”

• Michael, on Gabriel's armor [24:41]:

  • "The reason for the galoshes is… you cover your feet, you stay protected, you stay warm, and you don't die like Michael Fury, right? And there's a dynamic there for how covered to uncovered you are means how uniquely and really you experience life."

• Dan, on art and mortality [28:39]:

  • “The only thing that sticks around is art. Thank you, John Huston, and thank you everybody for listening."

Important Timestamps

• [02:51] Adaptation Discussion: Is the film ever as good as the book?
• [04:29] Structuring the Party: Why is the 'boring' middle necessary?
• [07:17] Credits as Airlock: Immersing viewers into another world.
• [09:44] Gabriel’s Missed Joy: Contrasts between him and other guests.
• [14:09] Freddy’s Emotional Openness: The overlooked depth of supporting characters.
• [18:12] Who Hears the Music?: Sound as a metaphor for empathy and awareness.
• [19:45] Establishing 'Presentness': How nostalgia and time function.
• [22:56] The Michael Furey Story: Revelation, jealousy, and the unbridgeable past.
• [24:41] The Galoshes: Protection and denial of vulnerability.
• [26:43] Directorial Choices: The restraint of not showing Michael Furey in flashback.
• [28:39] Art Outlasting Mortality: John Huston's own passing and legacy.

Conclusion

Dan and Michael Furey’s conversation on "The Dead" deftly captures both film and literature’s emotional and intellectual nuances. They celebrate Huston's adaptation for drawing out communal warmth and individual loneliness, while refusing easy answers or sentimental closure. Listeners leave with a new appreciation for the film’s subtlety—and Joyce’s original genius—as well as a lasting meditation on memory, love, and what it means to truly live.