Classics Abridged

On today’s literary history interlude, I’ll be discussing the era of Romanticism. Lasting from the end of the 18th century into the middle of the 19th century, this artistic and philosophical movement influenced all of Europe and can still be seen in our literature and philosophy today. If you’d like to learn more, hit play.

On today’s poetry interlude, I’ll be discussing the Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and his famous work "The Lady of Shalott". Named poet laureate of Britain, Tennyson was a leading figure in Victorian poetry and his work encapsulates the entire era. If you’d like to learn more, hit play. Note: There’s a mistake at 7:14, it should be “artists” not “authors”.

On today’s episode, I’ll be discussing Daphnis and Chloe by Longus. Written in the 2nd or 3rd Century CE, this pastoral Greek romance would go on to influence later Latin narrative fiction and ultimately the modern novel. If you’d like to hear about the most useless sex talk ever, gods helping people find money, and truly awful parenting, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be concluding my discussion of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. If you’d like to learn how to incapacitate your enemy, how to hide in plain sight, and how to prove your loyalty to an estranged husband, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be beginning my discussion of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. First performed as a play in 1903 and published as a novel in 1905, this novel created the trope of a hero with a secret identity that would bring us characters like Batman and Zorro. If you’d like to learn how to blackmail people, how to not effectively communicate in your marriage, and the most effective disguise for getting out of Paris during the French Revolution, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be discussing “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Truman Capote. First published in 1958, this novella created the iconic character of Holly Golightly that Audrey Hepburn would later immortalize on the screen. If you’d like to hear about child brides, handsome Brazilian millionaires, and a cat without a name, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be concluding my discussion of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. If you’d like to learn who marries who, why living with your ex-fiancee and his wife might be a bad idea, and the name of Andrei’s son, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be continuing my discussion of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. If you’d like to hear about the invasion of Moscow, the consequences of romantic affairs, and the beginnings and endings of love stories, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be continuing my discussion of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. If you want to learn why you shouldn’t trust men you meet at the opera, how not to treat your daughter, and why having an emergency plan when a foreign army invades is helpful, hit play.

On today’s episode, I’ll be continuing my discussion of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. If you want to learn why gambling can be dangerous, how not to treat your child’s love interest, and why you should never underestimate your opponent in a duel, hit play.