Writer and co-host of the Vollmannia podcast Ryan Alexander joins us to discuss Moravagine, first published in 1926. The novel was written by Blaise Cendrars (given name: Frédéric-Louis Sauser) and translated from French by Alan Brown. The plot involves a monstrous criminal who, once released from a mental hospital, goes on a worldwide killing spree before returning to Europe to fight in World War I. We talk about the book's unique representation of violence, its social commentary on misogyny and antisemitism, and the false promises of progress.
Check out Ryan's excellent show here: https://vollmannia.buzzsprout.com/
And, for two more book-related episodes a month, our Patreon is a steal: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
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Author, journalist, and critic Renata Adler joins us in person for a discussion of her novels Speedboat and Pitch Dark, both reprinted as NYRB...
Professor of Russian José Vergara recommends a dark story of family betrayal. Shchedrin's 1880 novel follows the fall of a miserly matriarch and the...
