The Infinite Library

This week, the Book Boys read "The Rise of the Novel" by Ian Watt. Topics of discussion include literature and the market, the nature of the 'reading public', and the lineage of the novel in English letters. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation!

This week, we're wandering through medieval Khazaria with good ol' Mikey C as we read "Gentlemen of the Road" [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/587638.Gentlemen_of_the_Road]. Topics of conversation include Swords & Sorcery vs Historical Fiction, depictions of Jewish identity in Chabon's oeuvre, and serializiation of fiction. As always, we hope you enjoy our conversation! You can follow the show on Bluesky at @infinitelibrarypod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/infinitelibrarypod.bsky.social]

Did you know that YOU can teach YOURSELF ANCIENT GREEK? In this week's episode of The Infinite Library, John and Ben are discussing "The Last Samurai" by Helen DeWitt. Topics of conversation include autodidacticism, sleazy British men, and the value of the humanities in troubling times.

This week on The Infinite Library: John and Ben check-in and see how they're feeling about this whole Michael Chabon read-through project, then they continue along the primrose path and discuss "The Yiddish Policeman's Union". Topics of discussion include noir fiction, Filipino-style Chinese donuts, and Messiah.

Happy New Years, Book Heads! In this bonus epsiode, John and Ben sit down to ring in 2025 by talking about their favorite books of 2024. We hope you enjoy!