Ars Libri

“ One Little Tree: A Christmas Card of a Finnish Landscape ” by E.M. Almedingen is a Finnish story of Christmas during WWI. It follows Arni who promised a Christmas tree to his sister, Kesti. Arni must navigate keeping his promise amid the Soviet blockade of the frontier where the only suitable trees grow. Faithfulness, piety, family, and hope fill the story amid the gloom of deep winter and a lon...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Epic poem by Thomas Babington Macaulay , not in length but in greatness of spirit, heroism, and sacrifice. Like the 300 of Sparta that would later hold off 2,000,000 Persians from Greece, Horatius with only two others held off 100,000 enemy soldiers from invading Rome. The story is amazing. It should be memorized b...

A hilarious comedy set in Messina that follows two sets of lovers: Claudio and Hero, and Benedict and Beatrice. Plays were meant to be performed and watched. We recommend Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 version. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com C.S. Lewis wrote many essays on literature and fiction. “On Stories” discusses the importance of actually reading and discussing stories, as opposed to merely using stories for critical analysis of society, culture, or other issues.

A Tale of Two Cities is a classic historical novel by Charles Dickens, published in 1859, that weaves a gripping story of love, sacrifice, and revolution set against the turbulent backdrop of late 18th-century London and Paris during the French Revolution. Through the intertwined lives of characters like the aristocratic Charles Darnay, the resilient Lucie Manette, and the brooding Sydney Carton,...

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë follows the passionate, destructive love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, whose tumultuous relationship spans generations, marked by revenge and tragedy. Although considered a classic now, the novel's gothic romanticism portrays adulterous love as redeeming. We would cautious against offering this book for young adult readers. This is a public episode. I...

More violent, wild, and yet more Christian - in some ways - than other fairy tale collections. Since there are over 600 of these tales, we only cover the four most popular, found in all available compilations of the works of Afanasyev, the Russian who originally compiled Russian tales in the 1800s: Ivan and the Wolf, Marya Morevna, Vasilissa the Beautiful, and Frog Princess. We get into the nature...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com In Chesterton’s book Orthodoxy , the fourth chapter is entitled “The Ethics Of Elfland". Chesterton outlines how Fairy Tales gave him his “first and last philosophy”, his worldview, if you will. We read and explore this chapter together.

Lewis’ Space Trilogy includes Out Of The Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength . In darker yet more gripping themes than his other writings, Lewis infuses sci-fi with classical mythology and Christian theology. Most importantly, he critiques modern scientism, imperialism, and transhumanism, replacing these with a richly Christian anthropology. This is a public episode. If you would...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Miltiades was the Athenian general who led the victory of Athens against Darius and the Persians at the Battle Of Marathon in 490 b.c. This victory saved Greece from becoming a province of the Persian Empire, preserving Greek culture, philosophy, art which would go on to play a founding role in Western Civilization...

With special guest Mrs. Bendwell Werry . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Solon created Athenian democracy by writing new and better laws than Draco had left them. Yet this form of democracy is different than what we know of the term today. Solon also led Athens in great battles, wrote poetry, traveled widely, learned of the lost city of Atlantis, and gave King Croesus advice about happi...

Classical Myths in the skies. Christian Myth in the stars. Tech as a bridge to Mystery. Expansive spirit of Europeans. A ship bearing 50 men and women travels at high speed to a distant planet. The mission is to extend human life beyond earth. But the ship encounters a problem and becomes unable to stop accelerating. The ship’s crew suffer psychological dilemmas of separation from home, people, ci...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com In "On Fairy-stories," J.R.R. Tolkien provides a comprehensive exploration of the fairy-story genre, defining its significance as a legitimate literary form for both adults and children, and articulating his concept of “sub-creation” as the foundation for fantasy. This essay serves as the theoretical backbone for h...

HCA compiled numerous tales and wrote many of his own. They are full of both fantasy and realism. One never graduates or outgrows true fairy tales. We have the Canterbury Classics edition , as well as the Calla and a few individual titles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com The Solomon-like second king of Rome. Numa Pomilius was Plato’s ideal “philosopher-king” whose virtue, wisdom, and piety made him revered by all. By divine guidance he restructured Rome from the warring state created by blood-stained Romulus into an orderly, religious, even virtuous budding civilization. In order t...

A true classic in the way it captures the world of its time so well and how each of the characters have a depth and rich story arc. We discuss the central characters and themes, including duties to family, freedom of the individual, “gender roles”, parenting, virtue, faith, and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Lycurgus was the law-giver of Sparta - like Moses for the Hebrews - and his laws remained in place for over 500 years! Lycurgus’ example and laws made Sparta one of the greatest Greek city-states, whose history was revered, studied, and even emulated by everyone during its day. Tales and movies of Sparta’s greatnes...

Lonesome Dove is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Western epic by Larry McMurtry. The story follows retired Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call as they lead a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the late 1870s. They gather a varied crew and face harsh landscapes, outlaws, Native American raids, and personal trouble. The story combines adventure, friendship, and tragedy, portraying the cost of...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com We read and discuss Tolkien’s essay On Faerie Stories , where Tolkien discusses how he views and writes fairy tales. There is a lot to learn: * What are fairy stories? * Where do they come from? * Who are they for? * Why are many modern “fairy tales” not so at all? * How have some recent versions become poor retell...

This is one of those books I never would have read except that my children asked me. And then the story turned out to profoundly rival many that I have read in “higher” literature like Plutarch’s Lives. The main character begins at a great height in life, falls miserably low, and rises again through miraculous providence. She keeps her “princess” dignity throughout, strengthened by imagination and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Everyman’s Plutarch series provides short biographies about famous men and women in Western history, from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Romulus was the founder of Rome. We retell and discuss his story, reading from Famous Men of Rome with notes from my personal reading of Plutarch’s Lives. This is recorded l...

Tolstoy’s writing is long, deep, and serious. He pulls you into the lives and characters of his subjects. You become bound up with their actions and decisions. Anna’s tale is a true tragedy, which contrasts with Lenin’s tale showing how happiness can be achieved. We’d recommend becoming familiar with a list of characters before listening, since the story is complex and our discussion isn’t meant t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Theseus is the first character discussed in Plutarch’s Lives. So, we begin with him as well. He was a founding figure of Athens, establishing many customs and traditions. He achieves great victories and commits great sins. Become a paid subscriber for bonus episodes. Everyman’s Plutarch series goes through the grea...

Western morality is bound up with the deceptively profound lessons of Aesop’s Fables. Men of old took them seriously. Ancient students memorized them. Socrates recounted them on his death bed. Aristotle said they were necessary for maturity. Jesus spoke at least one of the fables to his disciples. Renaissance men translated them along with Homer. Great Christian leaders used them in sermons. Our l...