
Amateur enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of literature, from ancient epics to contemporary classics. Episodes are not in chronological order and you don't need to start at the beginning - feel free to jump in wherever you like! Find out more at historyofliterature.com and facebook.com/historyofliterature. Support the show by visiting patreon.com/literature or historyofliteratur... more
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 782 | Founded | 11 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ArtsHistoryBooks | |||

Thanks in part to beloved films like Marty (1955) and Network (1976), Paddy Chayefsky is often regarded as the greatest writer of television's first Golden Age and the most acclaimed screenwriter in Hollywood history. But who was Chayefsky? What made... more
What is it like to translate Shakespeare into another language? How does one attempt to capture that transcendent magic so familiar to English speakers? In this episode, Jacke talks to writer, editor, and translator Daniel Hahn (If This Be Magic: The... more
Upon her death, French novelist George Sand (1804-1876) was widely recognized as one of the most popular and acclaimed writers in Europe. And yet, even then, the legend of the cigar-smoking, cross-dressing, promiscuous writer threatened to overshadow... more
Why are we so fascinated by the ancient world? What can we find in the distant past that is recognizably human--and how do we grapple with the complicated and controversial issues that the past forces us to address? In this episode, Jacke talks to di... more
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Jack says that if you ever use the word woke in a sentence, you are a 100% racist.
Wuthering Heights was a great discussion. I had to laugh at Jacke’s description of Heathcliff as compared to his young, squeaky clean self. We’ve all known how the opposite sex seems to be attracted to the bad boys/girls. Poor good Jacke. Great work for an interesting piece of literature! Refreshing not to approach it with a bit of humor! Thumbs up!
Listened to the Wuthering Heights “analysis” and instead got an incel ranting about how he was “too nice” and that’s why no girl liked him back. Completely ignored a lot of the deeper themes of the book (ex. class, racism, and portrayal of female sexuality in the Victorian era) to talk about the “mysteries of the female mind”.
Found this podcast after searching for an episode on The Brothers Karamazov. I’m 40 minutes in and he has not even started talking about the book. It feels more like a personal therapy session than a book analysis/discussion.
I love this podcast! Great guests. The company carries me right back to college class discussions about literature; I can’t shake the note-taking habit, but I do respond (a little) less out loud.
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A thoughtful exploration of literature across eras, with episodes that pair close-reading with conversations about authors, publishing, and the cultural context surrounding classic and modern works. The show often features scholars, authors, and editors who illuminate themes, historical settings, and book-making as objects, processes, and ideas. Noteworthy is the mix of deep-dive literary analysis and accessible storytelling, plus regular guest readers and expert guests who bring varied perspectives from education, criticism, and publishing. The format tends to blend scholarly context with personal storytelling, making complex topics approachable for devoted readers and researchers alike.
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The History of Literature launched 11 years ago and published 782 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The History of Literature include:
1. Fiona Sampson
2. Mary Beard
3. Karen Spence
4. Erin Sharkey
5. Elisabeth Paling Funk
6. Marjorie Garber
7. James H. MacGavran III
8. Kevin Ashton
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