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 rise of her even more punitive son. We talk about tragicomedy, fate, faith, and constant death. Spoilers are out of control. This is one of our favorite books, so read it quick!
Michaela Telfer's article on bureaucracy in the novel (open access)
Sign up for our bonus show for an upcoming companion episode on Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard.
In this clip, Dylan and Kassia discuss the 1911 Italian silent film adaptation of Dante's Inferno, a text covered on the main show. To...
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)...
In this episode, Professor Lawrence Warner joins us to talk about Adam Pinkhurst, a 14th century scribe who may or may not have been...
