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The Book That Made Kal Penn Cry

26 Jun 2026 · 0 min

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In this interview excerpt, Kal Penn (Speaker A) recounts a powerful, unexpected emotional reaction while reading the novel The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay. He describes sitting alone on the stairs of his shared apartment, being overwhelmed by the story to the point of uncontrollable crying—something he rarely experiences when reading. The moment is framed as a visceral, new experience that contrasts with his usual reaction to movies versus books. The interviewer (Speaker B) follows up by asking how the book changed his life, setting up a discussion about the personal and possibly professional impact of the novel on Penn’s worldview, creativity, and emotional openness.

I sat on the stairs in this apartment that I was sharing with a couple of the other cast members, and I was the only one home, and the sun was kind of coming in. And I remember just like, I couldn't see the words anymore because I was just bawling. And I'm generally not a crier when I read. Like, I love a good movie cry, but I'm not a crier when I, when I read. And so it was a— viscerally, it was a very new experience for me.
Okay, the big question. Yeah. How did The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay change your life? Oh man.