Unburied Books

NYRB Classics editorial director Edwin Frank returns to talk about his new book on the 20th-century novel. We discuss how he defined the category, his discoveries during research, and how being an editor has shaped his understanding. To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Peter Bush joins us to discuss his translation of Honoré de Balzac's The Lily in the Valley. We talk about the novel's unique place in the Human Comedy, its surprisingly modern ending, and the challenges of recreating Balzac's language in English. Support our show here:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

In this clip from the Patreon, we debate the merits of the 1818 and 1831 versions of the novel that birthed innumerable Halloween ensembles. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Scholar and author Ignacio Sánchez Prado joins us to discuss Clandestine in Chile written by Gabriel García Márquez and translated from Spanish by Asa Zatz. We talk about Márquez's influence on Latin American cinema, hallmarks of the crónica, and the meaning of exile to an artist. Become a patron to hear our discussion of Márquez's short story collection Strange Pilgrims:  https://www.patreon.com/...

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 hear the full episode, sign up to become a patron:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Welcome to Shorts, a miniseries where we interview the publishers of new and daring work. This week we're talking to Eric Obenauf, who, along with his partner, cofounded the small, Ohio-based press Two Dollar Radio. We hear how their youthful idealism has evolved over the years, find out what kind of writing piques their interest, and discover which of their books Barry Manilow might enjoy.

In this extended teaser, we share the first three of seven "chapters" discussing one of the foremost Chinese classical novels, Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin. With over 400 characters, the novel details everyday life in the Qing dynasty as well as some of the most extraordinary scenes put to paper. It's our longest episode ever. Hear the complete version on our Patreon: https://www.patreon...

We discuss Patrick Hamilton's 1947 novel The Slaves of Solitude with Spinster September creator Nora. The story concerns Miss Roach, an unmarried woman scraping through WWII on the outskirts of London. The episode covers the meaning of spinsterdom, Hamilton's black humor, and how crisis skews perspective. Join our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

We test Dylan's theory that all stories can be classified as either an Iliad or Odyssey by going through the list of NYRB Classics that we've covered.  Listen to the full episode on our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Author, journalist, and critic Renata Adler joins us in person for a discussion of her novels Speedboat and Pitch Dark, both reprinted as NYRB Classics. We also talk about her career in journalism, reactions to criticism, and thoughts on persona.

In this episode, we break from our usual format and discuss a recent "literary" road trip through New England. We share our thoughts on the Moby-Dick-centrism of Herman Melville's Arrowhead and on Edith Wharton's humble writer's retreat The Mount, which could reasonably accomodate a pod of whales, not to mention Henry James, Howard Sturgis, and friends. In Lennox, we run into the owner of The Book...

Critic Merve Emre joins us to discuss Oğuz Atay's short story collection Waiting for the Fear, newly translated from Turkish by Ralph Hubbell. These eight stories, inflected with humor and dread, deal with characters on the margins of society. We talk about the theme of alienation, Atay's relationship to Russian literature, and why so many of the stories take the form of letters. Want to hear more...

Critic Steven Moore joins us to discuss his two-volume alternative history of the novel. He refutes popular claims that the novel is a European invention and tells us why constant innovation is the form's true tradition. Hear the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 Link to pre-order The Adventures of Lady Egeria:  https://sublunaryeditions.com/products/the-adventures-o...

Writer and Portuguese translator Padma Viswanathan joins us to discuss her translation of São Bernardo by Graciliano Ramos. The book follows the story of Paulo Honório, an enterprising field hand who goes on to own the land where he once toiled. We talk about finding the narrator's voice, the many layers of irony, and Graciliano's political perspective. Read more about our guest's work here:  http...

Chinese translator Canaan Morse returns to explain how Eliot Weinberger's critical (and often cutting) analysis can help us see classical writing in new ways. Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Dylan and Kassia return to discuss Castle Gripsholm written by Kurt Tucholsky and translated from German by Michael Hofmann. The novel tells the story of "the Princess" and her lover on holiday in Sweden. It's a simple summertime fairy tale ... or is it? We talk about metafiction, love and friendship, and the book's sly critique of 1930s Germany. The Last Sane Woman review:  https://therumpus.net/...

Dylan and Kassia read Strange Pilgrims, a short story collection suggested by a listener. To hear the full episode, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Dylan and Kassia discuss Howard Sturgis' 1904 novel Belchamber. It follows the coming of age of Sainty, a not-so-average English boy who prefers needlepoint to riding and Tennyson to girls. We talk about the novel's interweaving of comedy and tragedy, the nature of being a sissy, and, of course, Henry James' famous critiques. If you want to hear extra episodes, explore our Patreon page:  https://w...

Screenwriter Howard A. Rodman joins us to discuss Jean-Patrick Manchette's Skeletons in the Closet, translated from French by Alyson Waters. This is a private eye novel set in Paris after the failed revolution of May 68. We talk about Manchette's playfulness with genre, the brutal yet slapstick violence in his books, and his collapse of high-versus-low distinctions. Check out our Patreon here:  ht...

Tolkien enthusiast Alex Cuellar joins us to discuss The Silmarillion. One of us has to test the limits of our edurance for the fantasy genre. To hear the full episode, sign up to our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Leaf by Leaf host Chris Via joins us to discuss John Ehle's 1964 novel The Land Breakers. It is a story of love, sacrifice, and survival in an unspoilt Appalachian landscape. We talk about the book's nuanced character development, the violent birthing pangs of early America, plus the similiarities and differences between Ehle's bear hunt and Melville's whale watch. Explore our bonus material here:...

In this clip, we hear about how McNally Editions editor Lucy Scholes came to rediscover English author Kay Dick and her dystopian novel They. To listen to the full conversation, check out our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Author Linda Rosenkrantz joins us to discuss her 1968 "reality novel" Talk. In the summer of 65, Rosenkrantz took a tape recorder to the beach and documented her friends' conversations. She later shaped the transcripts from that trip into a sharp, funny, and unusually revealing book. We speak with her about her contrasting experiences with publishing then and now, her artistic inspirations, other...

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) are republished as NYRB Classics. We talk about his uneasy relationship with the realist novel, the literary market's distortions of value, and the role place plays in his creative project. To hear the full episode, join our Patreon:  https://w...

In this brief clip, publisher Kate Macdonald shares the story of writer T. H. White's most beloved dog, Brownie. In the full episode, we talk about Sylvia Townsend Warner's approach to biography, White's Arthurian cycle, and the unglamorous side of being an author. To listen, join our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384