Best Franz Kafka Podcasts (2024)

1
Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis: A Bug's Life 1:04:09

9d ago1:04:09

1:04:09

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect.” (who amongst us, etc) This week we're talking Kafka's 1915 novella The Metamorphosis. Rich swoons over Gregor and is deeply moved by his plight. Cam wonders whether the giant freaky bug might bear some responsibility for events. B…

1
The inescapable influence of Franz Kafka 27:50

25d ago27:50

27:50

On the centenary of his death, we reflect on the legacy of Czech writer Franz Kafka. Alongside writer and literary critic Chris Power, we celebrate Kafka by way of his unexpurgated diaries which have recently been translated into English for the first time. Then screenwriter and short-story author Charlie Kaufman discusses his story in his new coll…

1
The legacy of Franz Kafka 50:07

30d ago50:07

50:07

June 3rd marks the centenary of Franz Kafka's death. To talk about this great writer's peculiar style and lasting legacy, I'm joined by two of the world's foremost Kafka scholars. Mark Harman has just translated, edited and annotated a new edition of Kafka's Selected Stories, while Ross Benjamin is the translator of the first unexpurgated edition o…

1
Philip K. Dick's paranoid classic Ubik: Fluttering at the windowpane of reality 1:18:21

1d ago1:18:21

1:18:21

Philip K. Dick is a sci-fi legend, but the boys have only ever seen the film adaptations of his work (Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly). Dick's 1969 classic Ubik has us divided. Benny is mad that major premises are introduced and then abandoned, internal logic is sloppy, and the twist ending is lazy writing. Rich and Cam are charmed …

1
Åsne Seierstad: The Afghans 47:58

1d ago47:58

47:58

My guest for this week's Book Club is the journalist and author Åsne Seierstad. She tells me about her new book The Afghans: Three Lives Through War, Love and Revolt; how and why she constructed a novelistic narrative about real-life people and events, and what her encounters with human rights activist Jamila, Taliban commander Bashir and thwarted …

1
Art and democracy: Agnieszka Holland and Nadya Tolokonnikova 28:45

4d ago28:45

28:45

We meet two figures in the cultural world known both for their creative practice, as well as their brave attitude towards speaking truth to power. Robert Bound speaks to Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland about her new film ‘Green Border’ and Alexei Korolyov meets Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova to discuss her new exhibition in Linz, Austria. See …

1
Mark Bostridge: In Pursuit of Love 41:14

9d ago41:14

41:14

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Mark Bostridge. In his new book In Pursuit of Love: The Search for Victor Hugo’s Daughter, Mark describes his quest to uncover the traces of Adele Hugo and the doomed love affair which cost her her sanity. He tells me how Adele’s story chimed in poignant ways with his own life and what it taught him abou…

1
‘Bye Bye Tiberias’, artist Zanele Muholi’s new exhibition and a novel by Gabriel García Márquez’s grandson 30:39

11d ago30:39

30:39

We hear from Lina Soualem about her new film, ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’, which documents the life of her mother, the actress Hiam Abbass, and four generations of Palestinian women. Plus: we head to Zanele Muholi’s new show at Tate Modern and find out about the darkly funny debut novel by Mateo García Elizondo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor…

1
83. Bokomslag 54:49

14d ago54:49

54:49

Hur viktiga är egentligen bokomslagen: böckernas yttre som också förmedlar något om det inre. I det här avsnittet av podden Solen pratar Elias och Patrik med Sara Acedo, en av de mest omtyckta och anlitade omslagsskaparna idag. Hon är bland mycket annat konstnären bakom flera av omslag till Ann-Helen Laestadius romaner. Vad gör ett bra omslag? Och …

1
Marlon James: A Brief History of Seven Killings 39:39

16d ago39:39

39:39

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Marlon James, who ten years ago published his Booker Prize winning novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. He tells me how that remarkable book came about, how he feared it would be 'my Satanic Verses', what genre means to him, the importance of myth, and what he learned from the X-Men.…

1
Frankenstein, part 2: Nature vs nurture 1:04:43

17d ago1:04:43

1:04:43

Wrapping up Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which we all loved. Nature vs nurture: the monster as proto-incel, to what extent do we feel sympathy for him, should Victor have made him a bride, self-loathing and recrimination, and whether hot people are actually more virtuous than ugly people. Also: why rousseau was a giant piece of shit, the monster as…

1
Richard Linklater 28:26

18d ago28:26

28:26

Richard Linklater is known for both small-budget, big hitting films like ‘Dazed and Confused’ and box-office hits such as ‘School of Rock’. His latest film, ‘Hit Man’, is a comedic thriller starring Glen Powell as the mild-mannered Gary Johnson. He is a college professor who leads an extraordinary double life working undercover for the police as a …

1
#39 – “I Still Don’t Feel the Code Has Been Cracked on How to Adapt These Things”: Screenwriter Dave Callaham on DOOM

21d ago

—

Today’s guest is screenwriter Dave Callaham, and our conversation revolves around one of his early screenwriting assignments: the adaptation of the influential video game DOOM by id Software, turned into an action movie starring The Rock in 2005. Dave quickly became an in-demand writer in Hollywood, and his credits include a ton of high-profile act…

1
#38 – “I Started Becoming Very Irresponsible”: Director Enda McCallion Explains How He Got Fired from DOOM (and What He’s Up to Now)

21d ago

—

Today’s guest is Irish filmmaker Enda McCallion, and our interview was prompted by his involvement in the 2005 horror film DOOM starring The Rock, an adaptation of the influential video game by id Software. Enda was attached to the project in its initial stages and during pre-production, but was then fired and replaced by Andzrej Bartkowiak as the …

1
#37 – “You’re Never Going to Meet Up with Expectations”: Director/Writer Tony Giglio on His Video Game Adaptation DOOM: ANNIHILATION

21d ago

—

Today’s guest is filmmaker Tony Giglio, and our conversation revolves around his 2019 film DOOM: ANNIHILATION which he wrote and directed. Unlike the 2005 DOOM movie starring The Rock, this newer adaptation of the infamous and influential ego shooter video game by id Software was made on a very small budget, and it’s not a sequel or remake, but bas…

1
Richard Flanagan: Question 7 33:06

23d ago33:06

33:06

In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is the Booker Prize winning novelist Richard Flanagan, talking about his extraordinary new book Question 7. It weaves together memoir, reportage and the imaginative work of fiction. Flanagan collides his relationship with his war-traumatised father and his own near-death experience with the lives of H G We…

1
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, part 1: Post-nut clarity and forbidden knowledge 1:16:48

27d ago1:16:48

1:16:48

Discussing chapters 1-10 of Mary Shelley's 1818 genre mash-up Frankenstein. On Mary Shelley's stacked genetics, the 'scenius' with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, questions over authorship including a suspiciously accurate depiction of post-nut clarity. Forbidden knowledge: are infohazards real, taking accountability for new technology, guilt and the…

1
ReLIT: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 1:08:24

29d ago1:08:24

1:08:24

We return next week with a new episode, but we'd never leave you without a dope book to discuss. So, here's another favorite episode from our past! Hyde yo' kids! Hyde yo' wife! A young doctor allows his obsession with the duality of human nature to lead him down a path littered with lies, murder, and destruction. His name is Doctor Henry Jekyll; t…

1
Venice Biennale 2024, part 2 27:28

1M ago27:28

27:28

We bring you the second part of our coverage from this year’s Venice Biennale. We hear from the artist representing Great Britain, whose work reconsiders the act of listening, find out about the works of the Greenlandic photographer in the Denmark Pavilion and explore Turkey’s politically engaged presentation. Plus: we head to an uninhabited Veneti…

1
Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot: The One TRUE Interpretation 42:52

1M ago42:52

42:52

Wandering through Samuel Beckett's 1953 absurdist play Waiting for Godot. Did Beckett actually have an interpretation in mind, or did he deliberately write a maximally vague story that everyone could map their own interests onto? How well does the humour hold up over time? Where does Beckett rank in the canon of absurdist and existentialist writers…

1
ReLIT: Educated by Tara Westover 1:05:12

1M ago1:05:12

1:05:12

Have you ever had to cut someone out of your life? No phone calls, texts, and your friends know not to invite both of you to the same event? This week, our theme is inspired by Educated, a memoir by Tara Westover. Tara didn’t have a birth certificate until she was nine years old and she didn’t see her first classroom until the age of 17. It’s like …

1
Conn Iggulden: Nero 42:54

1M ago42:54

42:54

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Conn Iggulden, probably the best selling author of historical fiction of our day. This week Conn publishes Nero, the first in a new trilogy about the notorious Roman emperor. He tells me about how he learned to write historical fiction, his years-long path to overnight success, and the advantages (and di…

1
Art legends Gilbert & George, Tunis’ new cultural scene and singer-songwriter Richard Thompson 28:35

1M ago28:35

28:35

We hear from contemporary art legends Gilbert and George, at their new exhibition in East London. Then we head to Tunis to take the temperature of the art scene and meet gallerist Selma Feriani. Plus: Richard Thompson drops into Midori House to play a song from his new album. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
The Razor's Edge, part 3: Climbing off the wheel of suffering 1:03:20

1M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

Our final session with W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge (chapters 5-7). Elliot Templeton as the last relic of a dying age. Was he really happy? We consider his self-worship and clout-chasing Catholicism as a counterpoint to Larry's spirituality. Rest in power queen. Sophie MacDonald attempts to climb off the wheel of suffering via more prosai…

1
The Royal Livingstone 37:55

1M ago37:55

37:55

Listen with your significant other, or the next time you find yourself missing them. Episode art by S. Patrick Brown. patreon.com/goblinmarketGOBLIN MARKET IN PRINT-- limited copies available. Volume III arriving imminently. (Volume I)https://50wattsbooks.com/products/success-stories-vol-i(Volume II)https://50wattsbooks.com/products/success-stories…

1
King Lear by William Shakespeare 1:11:23

1M ago1:11:23

1:11:23

A man's enemies will be persons of his own household. In one of the most tragic classics, we are forced to stare unflinchingly into a household descending into madness and chaos. The play: King Lear The playwright: William Shakespeare LET'S GET LIT!!! - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:…

1
Olivia Laing: The Garden Against Time 32:59

1M ago32:59

32:59

A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot! On this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by Olivia Laing to talk about her new book The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise. Olivia explores what it is we do when we make a garden, through her own experience of restoring the beautiful garden in her now home. She tells me about what gardens h…

1
Fraud and fortune in today’s art market 30:08

2M ago30:08

30:08

We meet Orlando Whitfield, once the best friend of Inigo Philbrick, to hear about the story of how Philbrick, a young contemporary art dealer, was convicted of wire fraud. Whitfield’s new book, ‘All That Glitters’, details the pair’s friendship, Philbrick’s downfall and Whitfield’s experience of the world of fine art. Plus: commentator Melanie Gerl…

1
The Razor's Edge, part 2: Lay your hands on me Larry 47:11

2M ago47:11

47:11

Discussing chapters 4 and 5 of W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge. Larry becomes aloof and reserved. Is he really bringing anything to the table besides his sexy forearms? Has he gone full woo-woo granola cruncher? Why can Kosti only talk about spirituality when he's drunk? Why aren't muses a thing these days? CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Synopsis (00:0…

1
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 51:50

2M ago51:50

51:50

"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.." The most kafkaesque book we've ever read is about isolation, capitalism, and the meaning of family - we think. The book: The Metamorphosis The author: Franz Kafka LET'S GET LIT!!! - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube…

1
W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge, part 1: Nobody loafs like Larry 39:26

2M ago39:26

39:26

Cracking into the first three chapters of Maugham's 1944 spiritual odyssey. Why do we love Larry so much? Rich talks about his own years of loafing around. Is Larry's decision to take a step off the beaten path less admirable given his 'trifling' $54,000 inflation-adjusted stipend? Talking about the spergy drive to collect All the Knowledge, and ho…

1
Jackie Kay: May Day 38:58

2M ago38:58

38:58

This week, my guest on the Book Club podcast is the poet Jackie Kay, whose magnificent new book May Day combines elegy and celebration. She tells me about her adoptive parents – a communist trade unionist and a leading figure in CND – and growing up in a household where teenage rebellion could mean going to church. We also discuss her beginnings as…

1
‘The Fall Guy’ and a celebration of stunt performers 29:23

2M ago29:23

29:23

We discuss David Leitch’s new film, ‘The Fall Guy’, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. We explore how the film celebrates the art of stunt performance, meet a stuntman to find out more about the job and ask how stunts affect the legalities of film production. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, part 3: Was David Foster Wallace a hideous man? 1:37:03

2M ago1:37:03

1:37:03

Starts with light and breezy over-sharing of our masturbatory habits, ends with a downer discussion about how we should re-contextualise Wallace's work thru the lens of the abuse allegations against him. The main stories we talk about: Brief Interview #59: Logically coherent masturbation fantasies (00:01:34) is this a universal experience, why are …

1
82. Stockholm läser Alltings början 58:24

2M ago58:24

58:24

2024 års Stockholm läser-bok är Alltings början av Karolina Ramqvist, en berättelse om Saga som går i gymnasiet och upptäcker Stockholms uteliv under tidigt nittiotal. Det är en bok om attraktion, förälskelse och att bli vuxen, men också om vänskap, feminism och ideal som krockar med verkligheten. Hur står den sig idag, tio år efter att den kom ut?…

1
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 1:00:59

2M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

One family's matriarch does all she can to honor her late husband's memory, save her son from despair, and support the dreams of her daughter — Is there hope for them, a family who the world is against, a family who already feels death inside the walls of their dwelling? The play: A Raisin in the Sun The playwright: Lorraine Hansberry LET'S GET LIT…

1
Ariane Bankes: The Quality of Love 35:10

2M ago35:10

35:10

On this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by Ariane Bankes, whose mother Celia was one of the great beauties of the early twentieth century. Ariane's new book The Quality of Love: Twin Sisters at the Heart of the Century tells the story of the defiantly bohemian lives of Celia and her twin sister Mamaine, whose love affairs and friendships with A…

1
Venice Biennale 2024 27:31

2M ago27:31

27:31

We bring you our dispatch from the 60th edition of the world’s most prestigious art event, which takes the temperature of contemporary art right now. In the first of two programmes, we meet the artists behind the Ethiopian, South Korean and Romanian pavilions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, part 2: If you can fake sincerity you've got it made 41:41

2M ago41:41

41:41

This week's discussion is loosely based around the story Octet, but really we just drill down on what David Foster Wallace is trying to achieve in this collection. How much metafiction is too much metafiction, does DFW stray into self-indulgence, the leap of faith he asks from his readers, is it possible to tactically and deliberately try to be sin…

1
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 1:24:08

2M ago1:24:08

1:24:08

What would you give for 2.4M dollars? Would you give up everything, and if so, in what order would you choose to abandon your life and everyone in it? One man must quickly decide his answer. What he chooses and what happens next is a story that uncovers the not-so-secret depravity of an entire country. The book: No Country for Old Men The author: C…

1
David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, part 1: Weaponised therapy-speak 46:17

2M ago46:17

46:17

Wallace's 1999 collection of short stories takes us to some uncomfortable places (and as always, is eerily prescient). In this week's discussion we talk about his 'juvenilia' coming-of-age story Forever Overhead, his famous piece The Depressed Person, and a smattering of the titular brief interviews. We kinda fucked up the format on this by trying …

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