Books of Some Substance

26 - Everything He Hated Was Here: Philip Roth's Sabbath's Theater


Listen Later

Ah yes, Sabbath’s Theater. Perhaps you remember that one uncle of yours reading it at family Thanksgiving ’96. Or maybe you noticed a dash of judgment in the eye of your local librarian upon recently checking out a quality hardcover edition.  (Don’t worry, everyone’s just pumped that you still go to the library.) Maybe you, a literary-minded baseball fan, picked it up after reading The Great American Novel and encountered a different kind of curve ball.

Is Philip Roth’s filthiest tome anything more than just that? Is it not safe for work or is it not safe for 2018? If one tallies the profanities in the book, can the felt bias against women be numerically and categorically proven? Or is this grotesque tale a warning against the inherent emptiness and damaging consequences of letting the male id run free—and thus a surprisingly topical lesson—despite the high frequency of bodily fluids discussed therein?

Join David, Eric, and Stephanie as they navigate these uncomfortable territories with grace, with depth of thought, and with more than a few audible shudders.

Follows us on Instagram & Twitter: @booksosubstance

Check out our homepage: www.booksofsomesubstance.com 

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Books of Some SubstanceBy David Southard and Nathan Sharp

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

64 ratings


More shows like Books of Some Substance

View all
Bookworm by KCRW

Bookworm

573 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

296 Listeners

The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Fiction

3,326 Listeners

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast by Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

2,094 Listeners

Very Bad Wizards by Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro

Very Bad Wizards

2,656 Listeners

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry by David Naimon, Tin House Books

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

445 Listeners

Overdue by Headgum

Overdue

2,209 Listeners

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST by ADAM BUXTON

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

1,310 Listeners

The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

The History of Literature

1,100 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

581 Listeners

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

2,111 Listeners

Hermitix by Hermitix

Hermitix

343 Listeners

Know Your Enemy by Matthew Sitman

Know Your Enemy

1,940 Listeners

Hardcore Literature by Benjamin McEvoy

Hardcore Literature

494 Listeners

Acid Horizon by Acid Horizon

Acid Horizon

175 Listeners