Great American Novel

Episode 30: Sailing on the SHIP OF FOOLS


Listen Later

A couple of weeks ago—after this episode was recorded, but before it was edited and posted—the famous author Stephen King posted online his top ten novels of all time—and among them was Katherine Anne Porter’s Ship of Fools.  This 1962 book was the first novel by Porter, a great American writer who had mostly worked in the short story genre and as a journalist and editor.  The novel tells of a German passenger liner traveling from Mexico to different ports of Europe in the 1930s.  It presents a multinational, highly varied cast of characters.  Ship of Fools received rave reviews at first, before then suffering through the obligatory critical backlash. The film rights sold for what at the time was a kaboodle of money and the movie was nominated for and received a number of Academy Awards. Hosts Kirk Curnutt and Scott Yarbrough wrestle with these questions: is this work a great American novel after all?  Are we all fools bound on an eternal quest for understanding or relevance or fares with inclusive food and drinks?  Why did the author take thirty years (almost) to finish the book? Come steam away with us as we sort it out. 

Listeners are warned as always: there be spoilers here!

The film audio clips are from the trailer to Ship of Fools, directed and produced in 1965 by Stanley Kramer and starring Vivien Leigh and Lee Marvin, among others.  Released by Columbia Pictures. 

The show music is by Lobo Loco.  The intro song is “Old Ralley,” and the outro is “Inspector Invisible.”  For more information visit: https://locolobomusic.com/.

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

Great American NovelBy Scott Yarbrough and Kirk Curnutt

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

79 ratings


More shows like Great American Novel

View all
The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,954 Listeners

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

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

2,096 Listeners

Philosophize This! by Stephen West

Philosophize This!

15,093 Listeners

Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Conversations with Tyler

2,399 Listeners

The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

The History of Literature

1,101 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

582 Listeners

Philosophy For Our Times by IAI

Philosophy For Our Times

304 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,917 Listeners

Rev Left Radio by Revolutionary Left Radio

Rev Left Radio

3,270 Listeners

Weird Studies by SpectreVision Radio

Weird Studies

586 Listeners

Hermitix by Hermitix

Hermitix

343 Listeners

Strict Scrutiny by Crooked Media

Strict Scrutiny

5,697 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,335 Listeners

Reading McCarthy by Scott Yarbrough and Guest Hosts

Reading McCarthy

139 Listeners

If Books Could Kill by Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri

If Books Could Kill

8,892 Listeners