

#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.
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
Recommended by Lynn Tillman to 

at the McDowell writing residency.


Craig Mod

1,010 snips
#802: Craig Mod — The Real Japan, Cheap Apartments in Tokyo, Productive Side Quests, Creative Retreats, Buying Future Freedom, and Being Possessed by Spirits
Mentioned by 

as a fictional movie that portrays the logging culture of Northwest America in the 1930s.


David Perell

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 

as a favorite author whose book inspired the movie "Train Dreams."


Sean Fennessey

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 ![undefined]()

as a beautiful movie out on Netflix, perfect for Thanksgiving.

Dax Shepard

16 snips
Joel Edgerton
Mentioned by 

, who adores the movie and notes its ability to get in front of a wide audience on Netflix.


Bilge Ebiri

14 snips
Critical Darlings: Frankenstein And The Craft Category Juggernauts with Bilge Ebiri
Mentioned by 

as a novella that was adapted into a film.


Peter Hamby

12 snips
The Altman Lawsuit-palooza & OpenAI Bailout Fears
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as one of his favorite books, adapted into a film.

Dan Kois

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.







