#2516
Mentioned in 18 episodes

Train Dreams

Book • 2002
The novella follows the life of Robert Grainier, an orphan sent to Idaho in 1893.

Grainier works as a laborer, building bridges and felling trees for the expanding railways.

He finds happiness with his wife and daughter but faces tragedy when a wildfire changes his life forever.

The story is a reflection on isolation, the closing of the American West, and the simple yet harsh life of a pioneer.

It juxtaposes the sounds of trains with the natural world, creating a dream-like and elegiac portrait of Grainier's life.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 18 episodes

Mentioned by
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David Perell
as a fictional movie that portrays the logging culture of Northwest America in the 1930s.
192 snips
Diarmaid MacCulloch: Oxford Professor Breaks Down His Writing Process | How I Write
Mentioned frequently as the novella being adapted into a film.
76 snips
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar: How Train Dreams Became a Film | How I Write
Mentioned by
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Sean Fennessey
as a favorite author whose book inspired the movie "Train Dreams."
41 snips
The 10 Best Movies at Sundance, and the Astonishing ‘Nickel Boys’
Mentioned when talking about experiences with reading a book before watching the film adaptation.
26 snips
The 2026 Movie Auction
Mentioned by
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Dax Shepard
as a beautiful movie out on Netflix, perfect for Thanksgiving.
16 snips
Joel Edgerton
Mentioned by
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Bilge Ebiri
, who adores the movie and notes its ability to get in front of a wide audience on Netflix.
14 snips
Critical Darlings: Frankenstein And The Craft Category Juggernauts with Bilge Ebiri
Mentioned by
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Peter Hamby
as a novella that was adapted into a film.
12 snips
The Altman Lawsuit-palooza & OpenAI Bailout Fears
Mentioned by
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Dan Kois
as one of his favorite books, adapted into a film.
Wicked Triple Feature Edition
Mentioned as a Sundance sensation adapted from a Dennis Johnson novella, now available on Netflix.
‘Wicked: For Good’ Is No Good. But ‘Train Dreams’ Is.

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