Classics Considered

Let's listen to Edgar Allan Poe's "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" - an eerie narrative about a man who takes a walk in the hills and comes back with a story to tell.  It's a new one to me, so I'll be sharing my candid reactions along the way.  Let me know what you think of it!

It's October again: that time of year when you reach for a chunky sweater, a spicy latte, and, of course, a spooky book to read. In this episode, I share nine of my favorite Victorian short stories by authors such as Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and H. G. Wells.  You probably don't want to read these at night...

This week, I revisit Rudyard Kipling and his famous feral child Mowgli.  The Jungle Book is one of my favorite Disney stories, but I did not like the book as a child.  How does it read now that I'm older?  (And when is that new movie coming out?!)

We kick off Season 3 with two giants of 19th-century science fiction: Jules Verne and Albert Robida. Both French authors, Verne and Robida crafted futuristic novels set in the 20th century, predicting changes in technology and society. Join me in this trip to the past, which at times feels amazingly reminiscent of the digital world we live in today.

In A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf takes us through a history of women in fiction, from the unknown poets of Elizabethan times to 18th and 19th-century writers like Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë.  This little book is not only for feminists, but for anyone interested in the life and classic writings of female authors.

How did I first get into classic literature, let alone podcast about it?  This week's episode features a glimpse into my reading life and podcasting journey, as well as some tips and technology which have helped me along the way.

This summer, I've been getting to know Southern Gothic author Flannery O'Connor through a collection of her short stories. In this "First Impressions" episode, I chat about her life, her writing, and the themes in her stories which grabbed my attention.

Today I take a nostalgia trip back to the time I first met Sherlock Holmes.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective has impacted my life in many ways, from violin playing to overcoming social anxiety.  I also share my thoughts on a number of adaptations, including the Jeremy Brett TV series and Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock.

For lovers of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, Eugene Onegin takes us back to Imperial Russia, where young Tatyana Larina falls for her brooding, Byronic neighbor. More than a romance, Alexander Pushkin's epic poem is a classic of Russian literature and history, as well as a glimpse into the 19th-century dueling culture which proved to be so fatal for him.

She left us with over 1,000 poems, full of vibrant imagery and even more mysteries.  Join me as I search for the real Emily Dickinson behind the legend, examining her life story and reading such gems as "I died for beauty" and "A bird came down the walk."

In The Sea and Poison, we find one Japanese author's perspective on the horrific human experimentation carried out by Unit 731 "doctors" in World War II.

From the Arctic Circle to the South Pole and both sides of the globe, here's six classics which will take you on an adventure this summer (and a little time travel, too!).

Today, we venture back to 19th-century Imperial France, in two vivid novels of Émile Zola: The Ladies' Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames) and The Kill (La Curée).

A magazine article provoked me to re-read H. G. Well's sci-fi horror classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau.  Join my trip back in time as I talk about a Soviet scientist, a British author, and human-chimpanzee people.

In this episode, I reminisce over the time I met Franz Kafka and my own "metamorphosis" as I discovered his Kafkaesque world.

We start off Season 2 with a journey to the Never Land - the dangerous yet dazzling world of Peter Pan, where even grownups can learn a thing or two.

"Classic" - this word holds so much weight, yet what does it really mean?  Today we discover Kazuo Ishiguro's novel A Pale View of Hills and examine the different facets of what makes a classic book.

What makes Alice in Wonderland a beloved classic?  This week, I review one of my childhood favorites and some of its creative film adaptations.

Looking for inexpensive ways to build up your personal library?  Today's episode features several ways you can spend less while reading more great books.

Two runaways, two worlds, and the pursuit of freedom.  This week's episode features Anthem and Breakfast at Tiffany's, two American classics with surprising similarities.

Our journey leads us to a castle in Hungary and Sándor Márai's short but stirring novel, Embers.  History takes center stage in the life of the old General, who wakes up one day to take revenge on the man that haunted him for forty-one years.

Great books can make great movies (and, in some cases, better ones). This week's topic features some of my favorite costume dramas inspired by classics.

Looking for your next great read?  This episode features six little-known classics and why I feel they should be famous.

An ancient family heirloom - and a mother's call for vengeance - sends young Leo Vincey and his adoptive father on a quest to find a mysterious sorceress, Ayesha, or She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.  In this episode, I review H. Rider Haggard's She, a novel which influenced the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

In this episode, we meet William Faulkner through one of his most famous novels, The Sound and the Fury.

Our voyage takes a detour through that hardest of decisions: how to rate a novel.  I share my four personal guidelines for rating classics and show some examples of how this works in practice.

We wrap up the Space Trilogy with That Hideous Strength, Lewis's dystopian thriller which takes place on our very own planet Earth.

Here we uncover another dystopian classic: Robert Hugh Benson's little-known novel from 1907, Lord of the World.

Today I unpack three of Arthur Miller's most famous plays: All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible.

This episode takes us through the solar system as I review Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra, the first two books in C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy.

On this voyage through classic literature, we join Humphrey van Weyden and follow his struggle to survive on the ominous ship The Ghost.

Today's episode delves into WWI history with the life and writings of T. E. Lawrence.

For this week's topic, I talk about my favorites from classic literature and why I may give up having "favorites" in the future.

In this pilot episode, I discuss my latest read, We - a dystopian classic novel by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin.