Balckwell’s Books returns with an episode about Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, which tells of the adventures of a young Irish orphan in India who gets drafted into the “Great Game.” We discuss the novel’s historical context, its views on race and ethnicity, and the machinations of colonial government.

I talk about a collection of short stories written by young writers in Gaza.

Find the full script at my website. www.balckwell.online

In which I discuss Ivan Goncharov’s Oblomov, the story of a middle-aged man who never does anything, never has done anything, and doesn’t plan on doing much in the future either. We discuss the novel’s sympathy and antipathy for its main character, the relatable charm of Oblomov himself, and how his static depiction ends up being to the book’s detriment.

In which I present Family, by Ba Jin, a revolutionary work that expresses the political and personal frustrations of the young generation in early 20th-century China. We discuss Ba Jin’s political ideals, the conflicts that encapsulate the novel, and the radical energy contained in the work. We also make comparison Dream of the Red Chamber, a novel that follows a similar protagonist in a similar family, but with major differences in tone and philosophy.

Books Referenced:

Family, Ba Jin (1932)

Dream of the Red Chamber, aka Dream of Red Mansions, aka The Story of the Stone, Cao Xueqin (1791)

Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev (1862)

In which I discuss Wieland, or The Transformation, by Charles Brockden Brown, an American classic. We delve into religious individualism, the Spirit of America, and discuss some Kierkegaard along the way.

Write in to the show: balckwellsbooks [at] gmail

Books discussed:

Wieland, or the Transformation by Charles Brockden Brown, 1798

Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard, 1843

In which I discuss VK Arseniev's memoir, "Dersu the Trapper," a story of survival and friendship in the Taiga. We explore the historical context of his journey, and the nature of the world he finds himself in.

If you have questions, thoughts, or suggestions for future topics, please write to: Balckwellbooks [at] gmail

In which I discuss Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo, a tale of political strife and striving among the upper society of a small South American republic. We explore Conrad’s depiction of South America, the tragic nature of his characters, and the relationship between our ideals and the real world we live in.

Also, a brief update on the show’s schedule: Balckwell’s Books will now come out every other Tuesday, and “Mini” episodes will just be considered regular episodes. I will still be writing/producing scripted episodes like this one, but a little less frequently (every 3-4 episodes or so). In the end, this will mean more episodes of higher quality, so it’s a win for everyone. Thanks for listening.

If you have questions, thoughts, or suggestions for future topics, please write to: Balckwellbooks [at] gmail

Books referenced:

Nostromo, Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad and the Fiction of Autobiography, Edward Said (offhand reference — I’ve only read one section, so I might have misrepresented his thesis…)

Tribulations of a Chinese Man in China, Jules Verne

Demian, Herman Hesse

Dream of the Red Chamber, Cao Xueqin

In which I take the opportunity of recently seeing a live performance to discuss Shakespeare’s comedy, As You Like It, probably the most ridiculous of all of his plays. I then go on to talk about Shakespeare in general, how he’s treated in English culture, why Tolstoy hated him (and why I sometimes do too), and in the end, what we’ve got to hand to the guy.

We conclude our exploration of Herman Hesse’s Demian by covering the second half of the novel, where questions of Max Demian’s existence, Emil Sinclair’s sexuality, and the true meaning of the First World War come into the forefront. We tackle all this and more as we try to understand what exactly we’re supposed to take away from this whole thing.

Next month, we will be covering Nostromo by Joseph Conrad.

On today’s episode we take a look at Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, a light-hearted adventure that brings us to a variety of strange islands where Gulliver must come to terms with the nature of humanity: its virtues, its vices, and its quirks. While the book certainly takes humans to task for their failings, the final result is not as harsh or mean-spirited as it may first seem, as there is the sense that, with the right adjustments, our society could be made to function in a much more pleasant manner.