Published in 1899, Heart of Darkness tells the story of Marlow, a sailor, who is sent on a mission up the Congo River to find out what has happened to the brilliant agent, Kurtz. The story is closely based on Joseph Conrad's own time in the Congo nine years earlier, an experience which scarred him both mentally and physically for the rest of his life. Barely 100 pages long, the novel has cast a giant shadow over western literature ever since, and haunts our consciousness of colonial guilt and racism. Dense and hypnotic, half narrative and half dream, it is one of Conrad's very greatest achievements. But how did he manage to create such a work when English was his third language? What had really happened to Kurtz? How does Marlow deal with the horror? Why are professional qualifications so important? And how do we feel today about the issues around race which the novel inevitably raises? Join Rupert and Charlie as they discuss this seminal book and the extraordinary man who wrote it.Â
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Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The slow burn love affair between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy is one of the best known and best loved stories in the English language, fuelled by multiple films, TV series and spin offs in recent years. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's rendering of the changeability of human feelings and the delicacy of social situations is at its most acute. But who was proud, and who was prejudiced? How important are first impressions? How rich was Mr Darcy? Why can some people understand their shortcomings, while others can't? And why do we take such delight in the disasters of our neighbours? Join Rupert and Charlie as they discuss what is probably Jane Austen's most celebrated novel.Â
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Update on the Podcast - How it's Going, and What's Coming Up
A short episode to update everyone - we started Book In a couple of months ago, with a plan to do 8 episodes and see how we got on. The response has been terrific, and so now we're planning what to do next. Tune in to find out, and also to learn about a man you've never heard of called F.R.Leavis, and for a very brief intro from Charlie on Literary Criticism.Â
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MacBeth - William Shakespeare
In 1606, James 1st had been King of England for three years. Most of his Stewart ancestors had met bloody and violent deaths, so for Shakespeare to write a play about the murder of a Scottish King was a bold move. The play was MacBeth; dramatic, fast moving and brutal, it contains some of the greatest speeches in the English language. But was MacBeth always going to be a murderer, or did the witches make him do it? Why did his marriage go wrong? What was an equivocator? And was it all OK in the end? Join Rupert and Charlie as they give you an insight into the strange and terrifying world of the supernatural, and the titanic struggle between good and evil which is the background to this gripping drama.Â
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Hamlet - William Shakespeare
Hamlet is one of the most famous, most performed and most analysed pieces of literature ever written. Every generation sees something of themselves in the anguished and tortured figure of the Prince of Denmark, as he grapples with his conscience and agonises over the right thing to do. But why does the play continue to resonate? What are the fundamental questions it asks? Why do so many people seem to go mad? What was the theatre like in Shakespeare's day, and who went to it? And why do some of the greatest actors find the part of Hamlet impossible to perform? Join Charlie and Rupert as they discuss these and many other questions.
Book In is a podcast in which brothers Rupert and Charlie Fordham discuss all things English Literature. From Chaucer to the present day, covering drama, novels and poetry, they cover all the classics and much more, from the UK, Ireland, the US, Europe and the rest of the world. Informative but lighthearted, Book In is suitable for all readers, and will be helpful for students doing GCSE, A-Level and university English degrees as well. Both Rupert and Charlie have been keen readers all their lives and both studied English at university. For many years Charlie taught English at GCSE and A-level.
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