Marilynne Robinson, Part II

Home

(Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

Marilynne Robinson's recent novels concern two ministers and their families. Here, we discuss her most-troubled character, Jack Boughton, a man who would have been called a ne'er-do-well when words like ne'er-do-well were common. He's an alcoholic, a thief, a betrayer—and has the most complex spiritual consciousness of the novels' characters. We explore the difficulty of goodness and why it might be an inadequate attainment for someone like Jack who may have too much conscience to be good. (Listen to

Part I

of Robinson's interview.)

• Read an excerpt from Home.

Note: This interview will not be broadcast live on KCRW, as it will be pre-empted by holiday programming. However, it will be archived online and be available for podcasting.