Season 4 begins in style, with the delectable Lagavulin 16yo single malt! The season kickoff Mongo book this time around is Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham, and it’s a truly hot topic. Which of our hosts loved the book, and which one hated it? Find out exclusively on this episode! In this episode: Oedipal admissions and fantasies. New rules! Michael forgot his copy. Ethan conducts an interrogation. They keep pronouncing the author’s name in different ways. They start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. Ethan gets hung up on mother-figures. But it’s a thin line, so he didn’t lose over it. Pop-psychology-cast! The Oedipal Foundation isn’t real. But apparently this is. They have their signature longer-than-necessary Harry Potter digression. Ethan cites Hezekiah 11:17. The whole book is about economics. Michael turns out the lights. Join the discussion!  Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line.  We'd love to hear from you!  And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Donate to our Patreon! Buy a Nihilism Blanket! Your Hosts: Michael G. Lilienthal (@mglilienthal) and Ethan Bartlett (@bjartlett) MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco.  Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua.  Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere.  Used under an Attribution License. “Intermission” by Unthunk. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial License.