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The Norton Library Podcast

The Norton Library
The Decameron
Slavery
Paradise Lost
Sense and Sensibility
The Age Of Innocence
Little Women
Edith Wharton
The Awakening
Frederick Douglass
Ernest Hemingway
Robert Louis Stevenson
Louisa May Alcott
Feminism
Literacy
Jane Austen
Christianity
The Iliad
John Milton
Harriet Jacobs
Confessions

Welcome to the Norton Library Podcast, where we explore influential works of literature and philosophy with the leading scholars and teachers behind Norton’s newest series of classics. In each episode, with a Norton Library editor or translator as our guide, we'll learn something new and surprising about these classic works—why they endure, and what it means to read them today. Hosted by Mark Ciri... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes71Founded3 years ago
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ArtsEducationBooks

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Artwork for The Norton Library Podcast

Latest Episodes

In Part 2 of our discussion on Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, editor Daniel Wright returns to discuss the appropriately rich color scheme of the Norton Library edition, his favorite awkward and heartbreaking line from the novel, and the reason... more

In Part 1 of our discussion on Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, we welcome editor Daniel Wright to discuss the author's busy and eventful life, the historical context and social issues behind his creation of Great Expectations, and the three ent... more

In Part 2 of our discussion on Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, editor Dora Zhang returns to discuss the original cover and the design of the Norton Library edition, her first encounter with Woolf's writing during college, and a few of her favor... more

In Part 1 of our discussion on Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, we welcome editor Dora Zhang to discuss the author's early life in a literary and artistic household, the enduring nature and distinctive prose of Woolf's works, and the argument of... more

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Recent Guests

Daniel Wright
Editor of The Norton Library edition of Great Expectations
University of Toronto (associate professor)
Episode: Trying to Be Funny Again (Great Expectations, Part 1)
Dora Zhang
Editor of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (Norton Library edition)
University of California, Berkeley (as described in the episode)
Episode: Shakespeare's Sister and a Spider's Web of Fiction (A Room of One's Own, Part 1)
Justine S. Murison
Editor of The Norton Library edition of The Scarlet Letter
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Episode: The Perfect Time to Read The Scarlet Letter (The Scarlet Letter, Part 1)
Dennis Washburn
Burlington Northern Foundation Professor of Asian Studies at Dartmouth College; translator of The Tale of Genji
Dartmouth College
Episode: How is the World Reading You? (The Tale of Genji, Part 2)
Jenny Davidson
Professor of English and Comparative Literature; editor of Austen's Pride and Prejudice for the Norton Library
Columbia University
Episode: Happy Birthday, Jane! (Jane Austen at 250)
Patricia Matthew
Associate Professor of English; editor of Mansfield Park for Norton Library
Montclair State University
Episode: Happy Birthday, Jane! (Jane Austen at 250)
Peter Singer
Australian philosopher; Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University
Princeton University
Episode: Listen to This—Then Play Happy Music! (Utilitarianism, Part 2)
Wayne A. Rebhorn
Translator and editor of The Decameron
University of Texas | PEN Center USA
Episode: The Importance of Fun (The Decameron, Part 2)
Evie Shockley
Zora Neale Hurston, Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University and author of 'Renegade Poetics'.
Rutgers University
Episode: Less Like You're Reading Her, More Like You're Listening to Her (Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Part 1)

Host

Mark Cirino
Host of The Norton Library Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 58 ratings
  • Excellent!

    Good stuff! I love writers!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nickanderhoey
    United States5 months ago
  • Great overview of famous stories

    This podcast offers a summary of classic literature and well-known authors. It’s well-produced, professional, and the host, Mark Cirino, does a lot of preparation for each interview, then wisely gets out of the way, letting each guest talk.

    It can be clunky in places. These are academics, so they don’t always phrase their ideas in the clearest terms, and some of the questions Cirino asks do not get the most insightful responses, like asking about the Norton edition cover or a playlist for the b... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sjdoublec
    United States6 months ago
  • Well researched.

    Succinct and to the point. Very entertaining. The scholarship is erudite and fun. Great hosting too!

    Audible
    5
    Htown
    United States6 months ago
  • Succinct and to the point. Very entertaining. The scholarship is erudite and fun. Great hosting too!

    Audible
    5
    Htown
    United States6 months ago
  • Spoilers for books over 150 years old

    Great podcast. Interesting discussions with the editors/experts. Good choice of books. Engaging questions from the interviewer. But the insistence on avoiding “spoolers” is irritating. How do you talk about Jane Eyre without mentioning who she married? Or what happened to Lucy in Dracula? I suspect that anyone choosing to listen to this podcast has already read the books so no one is going to have the ending spoiled.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    1centrist
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality production with insightful prep; occasional questions may feel cautious
Strong treatment of edition and translation choices; excellent for listeners who love text-level detail
Guests are deeply learned; conversations can get academic, but stay accessible
Thoughtful, well-produced explorations that connect classics to modern readers

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#171
Norway/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Trying to Be Funny Again (Great Expectations, Part 1)
Q: Could you talk a little bit about the three plots that we should be keeping an eye out for with Great Expectations?
The guests outline the tripartite structure: Pip's childhood graveyard encounter, the mysterious fortune and new life in London, and the pervading influence of Miss Havisham, Estella, and the mystery of the benefactor, which drives Pip's development as a character.
Trying to Be Funny Again (Great Expectations, Part 1)
Q: Congratulations on your new edition of the book, Daniel. Maybe the first thing we can talk about is what readers of Great Expectations should know about Charles Dickens as they approach the novel.
Daniel Wright explains that readers should understand Dickens's multi-faceted life, his late-career experimentation with humor, and how the autobiographical threads and social context inform the novel's realist approach and characters.
Shakespeare's Sister and a Spider's Web of Fiction (A Room of One's Own, Part 1)
Q: What is the premise of A Room of One's Own and how does Woolf argue it is achieved in practice?
Woolf posits that independence and space are prerequisites for creativity, and she constructs this through historical narration, fictive scenarios like Judith Shakespeare, and strategic editorial choices to persuade readers of the necessity of structural change.
Shakespeare's Sister and a Spider's Web of Fiction (A Room of One's Own, Part 1)
Q: Who was Virginia Woolf and how does her background shape A Room of One's Own?
She emerges as a central modernist writer with a unique blend of fiction and non-fiction, whose personal experiences with education, gender norms, and intellectual culture inform her argument about material conditions and the need for a room of one's own.
The Perfect Time to Read The Scarlet Letter (The Scarlet Letter, Part 1)
Q: What do we need to know about Hawthorne to approach The Scarlet Letter?
Hawthorne's life in Massachusetts, Salem, his Puritan lineage, and his ambivalent view of New England history shape how the novel interrogates guilt, society, and the possibility of transcendence within a constraining social order.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Norton Library Podcast

What is The Norton Library Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A literary discussion series that pairs scholarly editors, translators, and researchers with classic works to illuminate their enduring relevance. Across episodes, the host explores translation choices, editorial decisions, historical context, and the ways great texts speak to contemporary readers—covering authors from Boccaccio to Hemingway, with a recurring emphasis on how humor, death, war, gender, and narrative form shape our understanding of these works. Notable strengths include in-depth guest expertise, thoughtful questions that surface translation and edition nuances, and a clear mission to make canonical literature accessible and relevant for modern audiences. A unique aspect is the focused collaboration with Norton Library editors... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Norton Library Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Norton Library Podcast:

1. One True Podcast
2. Close Readings
3. College Matters from The Chronicle
4. Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited
5. Critics at Large | The New Yorker

How many episodes of The Norton Library Podcast are there?

The Norton Library Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 71 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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What guests have appeared on The Norton Library Podcast?

Recent guests on The Norton Library Podcast include:

1. Daniel Wright
2. Dora Zhang
3. Justine S. Murison
4. Dennis Washburn
5. Jenny Davidson
6. Patricia Matthew
7. Peter Singer
8. Wayne A. Rebhorn

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