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
Novelist Amit Chaudhuri joins us for a wide-ranging conversation as his first three books (A Strange and Sublime Address, Afternoon Raag, and Freedom Song)...
Writer and artist Joshua Jones joins us to discuss Peter Handke's Short Letter, Long Farewell. We disassemble the machinery of American mythmaking, drift through...
NYRB Classics editorial director Edwin Frank returns to talk about his new book on the 20th-century novel. We discuss how he defined the category,...
