Showing titles in Literary History & Criticism

Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels, films, and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives. Yet the world of story has long remained an undiscovered and unmapped country. It's easy to say that humans are "wired" for story, but why? In this delightful and original book, Jonathan Gottschall offers the first unified theory of storytelling. He argues that stories help us navigate life's complex social problems.

My name is Tim (aka. 'The Guy in the Hat'), founder of 'Beat the Reset' and author of 'Things We Were Never Told About Money' and 'The Great Asset Shift' (both available on Amazon). Put simply, I am not a financial guy. I am a precious metals investor who is passionate about how we can thrive as a people. My podcast series is backed by years of personal research into our global monetary systems and the history of monetary trade, providing you (the listener) with the basics regarding 'what is money', 'why you have been shackled to a failing monetary system', and 'what you can do to change your ...

What would you say to the people you loved if you knew The Secrets in your head could cost you all your lives? What do you do when you no longer remember your best friends name, the church you’d served at for seven years or the places you used to work? Where do you go when the memories in your mind are now clouded with shadows of things you’d carefully forgotten? Where once there used to be memories of soccer games and high school pranks, there are assassinations in hotel rooms with poisons and blades. Will she run from me when she knows what I’ve done? When she sees the man in the ...

Winnie the Pooh is a beloved children's book by A.A. Milne that follows the adventures of a gentle bear named Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh loves honey and often finds himself in humorous predicaments while searching for it. His companions include Piglet, a timid but loyal friend; Eeyore, a gloomy donkey; Tigger, a bouncy and exuberant tiger; and Christopher Robin, a kind-hearted boy who leads their adventures. Together, they navigate the joys and challenges of friendship, imagination, and the simple pleasures of life. The stories celebrate themes of ...

Highly Invested is a podcast centered around reading and re-reading Brandon Sanderson’s ever expanding Cosmere novels. Join Richie, James, and new reader Betsy on the journey of a lifetime as we worldhop from book to book discussing planets, magic systems, story arcs and unforgettable characters. Popular series include The Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, Warbreaker, Elantris, White Sand, and more. This podcast will be divided into spoiler sections and non-spoiler sections for listeners reading Cosmere novels for the first time.

For anyone who ever wondered what Marcel Proust had in mind when he wrote the one-and-a-quarter-million words of In Search of Lost Time (while bedridden no less), Alain de Botton has the answer. For, in this stylish, erudite and frequently hilarious book, de Botton dips deeply into Proust’s life and work - his fiction, letter, and conversations – and distils from them that rare self-help manual: one that is actually helpful.

Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the...

From modern literature to menopause, from utopian thought to rodeos - in this classic collection of essays, Ursula K. Le Guin roves with her customary audacity over the intersecting arenas of literature, feminism, and social responsibility, exploding any received notions she comes across and revealing visionary possibilities in their stead.

The Lord’s “Secretary of Divine Mercy,” St. Faustina, wrote what has become a modern-day spiritual classic — a blueprint for living a sacramental life in union with Jesus Christ. For anyone who may think the Diary is too thick and formidable, Most Rev. Joe Roesch, MIC, has the solution. Join him for a few minutes each day as he reads from the Diary and offers commentary. Over the span of one year, you will have “read" the Diary, beginning to end, and by the grace of God, absorbed its rich teachings. Welcome to this spiritual journey! Together, through the mystical writings of St. ...

It is the story of a boy growing up in the war-torn Jerusalem of the 40s and 50s in a small apartment crowded with books in 12 languages and relatives speaking nearly as many. His mother and father, both wonderful people, were ill-suited to each other. When Oz was 12 and a half years old, his mother committed suicide - a tragedy that was to change his life. He leaves the constraints of the family and the community of dreamers, scholars, and failed businessmen to join a kibbutz.

In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day gives you today's very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we've got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch today's great books in 15 minutes or less.

One morning in February 1952, a journalist called Ian Fleming sat down at his desk and set about creating a fictional secret agent. James Bond was born and would go on to become one of the most successful, enduring and lucrative creations in literature. But Bond's world of glamour and romance, gadgets and cocktails, espionage and villainy wasn't entirely drawn from imagination: Fleming's background and his experiences as an intelligence officer during the Second World War were all formative parts in the creation of the world's most famous spy.

Immerse yourself in the captivating sequel to "Anne of Green Gables" with Lucy Maud Montgomery's enchanting novel, "Anne of Avonlea." This delightful continuation of Anne Shirley's journey invites listeners to witness her transformation from a spirited young girl to a blossoming young woman. Set in the charming town of Avonlea, Montgomery's exquisite storytelling introduces us to a host of new endearing characters, while also reuniting us with familiar faces we've grown to love. Through Anne's adventures as a teacher, her humorous escapades, and her unwavering belief in the power of ...

Focused on the good, the great, and the problematic in the best-selling novel series The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Josh is an avid Dresderner, Alyssa is brand new!Together, they'll review and break down the series from different perspectives. Topics will include everything from the quality of the world-building and storytelling, to the problematic scenes and issues with the male gaze, and even to how accurate the crime scenes are (Alyssa is a coroner-investigator). Not to mention everything in between!New episodes every Sunday (Saturday with Patreon sub!)!https://www.patreon.com/...

“BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY.” —Time “It is impossible to name a book that had a greater effect on the political and moral consciousness of the late twentieth century.” —David Remnick, The New Yorker The Nobel Prize winner’s towering masterpiece of world literature...

A Locked Tomb reread podcast where we unpack wtf is going on in The Locked Tomb series including Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth. We unapologetically obsess over Gideon, Harrow, and every other beloved and dreadful character. This podcast is FILLED with spoilers. Listen to our trailer episode before listening to the reread! First time readers beware!

Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices past and present that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, and more.

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This is a Punjabi Audiobook of the Novel Pavitar Papi written by Famous Punjabi Writer Nanak Singh.

A retelling of the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a way that’s more accessible to a Western audience. See 3kingdomspodcast.com for more.