Solo shows are great, but the guests can be tiresome
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“Jacke is impressively prolific in his output and when he’s in his stride the level of quality is high. I love the structured yet conversational style, and his obvious passion for and insight into the books and writers he discusses. The high number of ads and the rambling intros have always been a bit tedious (I sometimes have to skip ahead 20 minutes just to get to the actual meat of the episode), but I don’t mind dealing with them if the core of the show is good.
Sadly Jacke has been hinting for awhile that he’s losing enthusiasm for the project and, reasonably enough, feeling the burnout of such an intense podcasting schedule. The last year (2023) in particular saw a shift to an almost entirely guest-based format, which is understandable from a production standpoint but unfortunate from a listener one. Jacke’s solo shows have always been the heart of HOL for me, while his interview episodes are much more hit or miss, and in my opinion poorly vetted for quality and interest. Too many academics pushing recondite (and occasionally quite fringe) theories make the show feel less like a chat with a well-read friend and more like a campus lecture series. I used to enjoy when he would get fiction writers on to discuss their favorite books, but even that hasn’t been a regular feature for quite some time.
The highs are still high enough to keep me subscribed, but I’d personally prefer a reduced release schedule with a higher standard of quality to the current model of constant but rather skippable output.”
Kafka's peach via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
01/14/24
More reviews of The History of Literature
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“Like the air, I have been listening for years. I know realize
That I have been breathing it all in and have hardly even notice...it has become that necessary to my liberal arts self...and as far as self
is concerned...is there really any other? For those of you who understand that
Rhetorical...”Read full review »
A gb in gbg via Apple Podcasts ·
Sweden ·
09/17/19
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“I love what you do on here. I’ve learnt so much from your podcast, thank you.”
Writersinjapan via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
10/28/19
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“I thought I'd search for a literature podcast, as I love classic literature; but I did not know exactly what I was looking for. It turns out, this was it!”Read full review »
Mccullou via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
03/23/17
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