Books of All Time

Rose Judson
Books of All Time

Books of All Time tackles classic literature in chronological order. Each month, host Rose Judson summarizes a classic work of literature in one episode and then dives into the story behind it in the second episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Episode 26: The Oresteia, Part 1 - Torment Bred in the Race

    20 FEB

    Episode 26: The Oresteia, Part 1 - Torment Bred in the Race

    Cycles of violence. Legacies handed from famous fathers to uncertain sons. The trajectory of a society moving from retribution to democracy and justice. Robert F. Kennedy probably did not have all these things in mind on April 4, 1968 when he announced the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. to a crowd in Indianapolis. But he brought them to the surface nevertheless by quoting the ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus, father of tragedy in his successful attempt to keep the city at peace on that terrible night: "Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God." It was a scene worthy of Aeschylus himself. This week, walk through the plot of the Oresteia, the only complete triology of Aeschylus's we still have. It tells the story of a family laboring under a curse, and how that curse came to be lifted. To read the transcript of this play or browse our reading list and reference links, please click here. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min
  2. Episode 25: The Book of Isaiah, Part 2 - Wizards That Peep and Mutter

    6 FEB

    Episode 25: The Book of Isaiah, Part 2 - Wizards That Peep and Mutter

    Looking for some divine assistance on a tough decision? Have you considered shooting some arrows? Dropping oil in water? What about sacrificing a sheep? This week's episode uses the Book of Isaiah, the first work of prophecy on our reading list, as a springboard for looking at divination, magic, and prophecy in the ancient world. Need a transcript or want to check out the references Rose used to write this episode? Click here to visit our website. Don't forget to rate and review us or share us on your socials! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  3. Episode 24: The Book of Isaiah, Part 1 - A Voice in the Wilderness

    23 JAN

    Episode 24: The Book of Isaiah, Part 1 - A Voice in the Wilderness

    For episode 24, we return to the Hebrew Bible. By itself, the Book of Isaiah is one of humanity's most influential works of spiritual literature. In addition to laying the foundations of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, Isaiah has contributed dozens of phrases into our language, such as "swords into plowshares", "a little child shall lead them," and, of course, "a voice in the wilderness." Follow along with Rose Judson as she walks through it, talking you through the historical context, theories about how and where it was written, and, well, a few euphemisms for bodily functions. Apologies for the sound quality in this episode: we had to re-record at short notice. Want to read the transcript? This link will take you straight to it, and to this episode's reading list. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us! You can also follow us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  4. Episode 23 – Aesop’s Fables, Part 2: The Moral of the Story

    9 JAN

    Episode 23 – Aesop’s Fables, Part 2: The Moral of the Story

    Snarky, satirical, scatological - how did the original Aesop's Fables wind up getting sanitized for children? This week's episode follows the thread through two thousand years of interpretation and adaptation, from Roman villas to medieval scriptoria to French drawing rooms. Want to read a transcript? Here you go! Don't forget to rate and review us on your podcast app of choice - it really helps people find the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  5. TRAILER

    Announcements: Schedule Change for Episode 23

    Happy New Year! This is just a short announcement to let you all know that BoAT episode 23 will be out on January 9th. Also, we are coming to the end of the year 1 reading list! Year 2 will be out later this month. Prepare for a Greek drama overload, plus our first visit to Persia and, toward the end of the year, Rome! Thanks for sticking with us this year! We appreciate each and every one of you, and wish you all the best for 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  6. Episode 22: Aesop's Fables, Part 1 - Slow and Steady

    24/12/2024

    Episode 22: Aesop's Fables, Part 1 - Slow and Steady

    We hoped our Aesop's Fables episode would be a family-friendly romp just in time for the holidays. We could not have been more wrong. Compiled after 450 BCE, the hundreds of stories known to us as Aesop's Fables were not the children's morality tales we read today. They represent the earliest examples we have of Greek popular culture, and they started out mostly as bawdy or mean-spirited comedy bits you could memorize to deliver at a drinking party or even in a court of law. In this episode, Rose talks about the historical context of Aesop, including when (and whether) he lived, how other writers thought about him, and then gives a summary of several of the most popular fables, along with some of the ones that shocked her most. We recommend that you do not listen with younger children around (unless you want to traumatize them); there's one rude word included in a title that Rose mentions in passing. Want to read the transcript? Here you go! Thanks for listening - don't forget to tell friends about us and share us on your socials. See you in 2025! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  7. Episode 21: The Analects of Confucius, Part 2 - The Confucian World

    05/12/2024

    Episode 21: The Analects of Confucius, Part 2 - The Confucian World

    He died dissatisfied and relatively obscure in 479 BCE, but Confucius, thanks to his disciples, had an afterlife for the ages. Learn how Confucianism adapted, evolved and survived for more than 2,000 years in spite of mass executions of its adherents, having to compete with Buddhism and then Christianity, and having to win over an emperor who kept peeing in Confucian scholars' hats. Want to read the transcript? Urine luck! Click here to read it and see the reference list for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  8. Episode 20: Analects of Confucius, Part 1 - When I Was 40, I Had No Delusions

    21/11/2024

    Episode 20: Analects of Confucius, Part 1 - When I Was 40, I Had No Delusions

    Episode 20 expands the map of our show to eastern Asia, as we begin a two-part exploration of The Analects (Lunyu), collected sayings of the philosopher Confucius (551 - 479 BCE). He may just be the most influential educator and philosopher who ever lived. His ideas about virtue in rulers impacting the virtue of the people . . . are honestly kind of adorable in this day and age. In this first episode, Rose takes you through some of the major themes of the Analects, with lots of passages from the Master. Want a transcript instead? Click here to read it. You can also check out the references Rose used to write the episode, and leave comments about the episode at the bottom of the transcript page. Don't forget to subscribe and rate us on your podcast app, and share us on social media. It helps! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Books of All Time tackles classic literature in chronological order. Each month, host Rose Judson summarizes a classic work of literature in one episode and then dives into the story behind it in the second episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Rose Judson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rose Judson
  • Show Website
    Books of All Time

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