The Global Novel: a literature podcast

Aug 30 2024 49 ep. 21 mins 4
The Global Novel: a literature podcast artwork

The Global Novel is a podcast that surveys the narratology of world literature and history of translation from antiquity to modernity with a critical lens and aims to make academic education in literature accessible to the world.

  Fiction  Education  Arts
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


Crime and Punishment (1866)

Aug 30 2024 20 mins  
Can murder ever be justified for the greater good? Today, we will walk through the twisted streets of St. Petersburg, depicted by the brilliant yet tormented mind of Fyodor Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment is more than a novel—it's a psychological odyssey into the depths of guilt, redemption, and the human soul. Joining us is Dr. Julia Titus from Yale University, she is the autho

In Search of Lost Time (1913)

Aug 15 2024 20 mins  
In Search of Lost Time (1913) by Marcel Proust remains one of the most profound and monumental novels of the 20th century, presenting us an intricate labyrinth of memory, time, and desire. With us are Professor Darci Gardner from Appalachian State University, whose expertise is in 19th and 20th-century French literature and she will shed light on the enigmatic Proustian syntax as a

The Island: War and Belonging in Auden's England

Jul 30 2024 20 mins  
W.H. Auden is the modernist poet who coined the term “the age of anxiety” and is noted for his stylistic and technical achievement. His work intellectually engaged with politics, morals, love and religion. With us today is our distinguished guest, Professor Nicholas Jenkins. Prof. Jenkins teaches English literature at Stanford University and will soon be the director of the Sta

Great Expectations (1861)

Jul 15 2024 20 mins  
Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (1861) stands as a cornerstone of English literature, encapsulating Dickens' unparalleled talent to weave intricate plots with vivid characters against the backdrop of Victorian society. Our guest-speaker today is Prof. Joshua Gooch from D'Youville College in New York. Dr. Gooch's expertise is the intersections of work, power, and aesthetics in l

Le Rouge et Le Noir (1830)

Jun 30 2024 20 mins  
Known for his masterful blend of realism and romanticism, Stendhal is one of the greatest novelists of the 19th century, and his works offer profound psychological insights and sharp social critiques. His unforgettable characters, such as Julien Sorel in Le Rouge et Le Noir, navigate themes of love, ambition, and identity that remain timeless and relevant. Today on the Global Novel

The Human Comedy (1829-48)

Jun 15 2024 20 mins  
Despite being rooted in 19th-century France, Honoré de Balzac's exploration of universal themes such as love, greed, and ambition makes his work still relevant today. Our guests are Dr. Melanie Conroy from the University of Memphis, who also authored Literary Geographies in Balzac and Proust (2021), and Dr. Julia Titus from Yale University, author of Dostoyevsky as a Translator of

The Plum in the Golden Vase (1610)

Apr 15 2024 20 mins  
Today, we're unfurling the scrolls of one of the most provocative, scandalous, and riveting novels to ever emerge from China’s Ming dynasty: "Jin Ping Mei," or as it's tantalizingly translated, "The Plum in the Golden Vase." This novel is not just a story; it's a journey into the opulent, and often morally ambiguous, world of 16th-century China. We have the esteemed Dr. Junjie Lu

Madame Bovary (1857)

Mar 15 2024 20 mins  
Madame Bovary scandalized and fascinated nineteenth-century France upon its release, and is a groundbreaking exploration of desire, romantic disillusionment, and the mundane realities of rural life. Joining us are Professors Mary Donaldson-Evans who taught at University of Delaware, Jennifer Yee from Oxford University, Rachel Mesch from Boston University, and C.F.S. Creasy from Nat

Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Feb 15 2024 20 mins  
Gulliver’s Travels remains one of the finest satires in the English language, delighting in the mockery of everything from government to religion and —despite the passing of nearly three centuries-remaining just as fun, funny and relevant today.Our guest-speakers are chief editors of the 2023 Cambridge Companion to Gulliver’s Travels Dr. Daniel Cook and Dr. Nicholas Seager. D

My Struggle (2009)

Dec 31 2023 20 mins  
A Norwegian author and well-known worldwide for six autobiographical novels, titled My Struggle and multiple prize winner, Karl Ove Knausgaard has been described as "one of the 21st century's greatest literary sensations". With us today is our returning guest-speaker Dr. Bob Blaisdell. As I’ve introduced him on the show before, he is professor of English at the City University of