The boys get weird as they peer into the furthest recesses of George Eliot's midlands world. In this episode, covering Books V + VI of Middlemarch, they talk more about class elements in the book, dig into the character of Bulstrode and what he represents about English religion, and get a little wacky talking about the books that appear within the book.   Theme Music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

The boys head back to Middlemarch to keep exploring. After an interesting reader comment comparing the book's characters to those in Twin Peaks, they set out to see what makes Parts III & IV work. Along the way they praise the simple nobility of Caleb Garth, use Blaise Pascal's theories of diversion to explain the restlessness of characters, and tackle the famous "pierglass" discourse as a way to think about the book's narration. Theme song: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza

The boys are back in town! In the first episode of Season 2, the Bastard Sons of Hegel discuss the first two books of George Eliot's Middlemarch. Friedrich gives tons of helpful context for the book and Eliot; Karl gets very concerned with the question of Realism; and Søren proposes some cinematic parallels for Eliot's writing. Plus, in depth discussions of Eliot's dialectic writing style and her theories of art.  

Søren breaks down the coming attractions of Season 2 of The Readers Karamazov, which is anchored in George Eliot's magnum opus Middlemarch. Included is a complete schedule of episode releases and texts discussed.

With Karl on break, Friedrich and Søren discuss a book they'd both hoped to force him to read: Anthony Trollope's Victorian novel The Warden. They talk about the ways in which the book goes against the grain of other Victorian novels; the trials and travails of structuring your book around a beta male protagonist; and the flow of sympathy present in the book. Bonus: a discussion of Dr. Pessimist Anticant and Mr. Popular Sentiment.

In this episode the boys tackle Ian McEwan's Amsterdam, a story of obsession, friendship, and, most importantly, music. They discuss whether or not McEwan's craft is a little too tidy; what constitutes middlebrow art; and who the best (and worst) members of the Beatles are.   Theme Music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

It's sci-fi redux this week on TRK, as the boys tackle Ursula K. Le Guin's "ambiguous utopia" The Dispossessed. That means plenty of talk about anarchism, physics, connections to Trouble on Triton, and even a pleasant little discourse on marriage... IN SPACE!

In this episode, the boys discuss a Friedrich pick, John Fowles' 1963 debut novel The Collector. Going beyond the (admittedly fascinating) set up of a lonely man who kidnaps his dream girl, the BSOH discuss the novel's fascination with art, mechanical reproduction, class warfare, taste, and more. Also, in a bonus for everyone everywhere, the episode includes insults directed at the following: MFA programs (and the students therein), photography, lepidoptery.

In this episode, the boys tackle Søren's favorite Greek tragedy, Euripides' The Bacchae, a story of gods, wine, and madness. They try to work themselves into the mindset of the ancient Greeks (via the lubrication of a few mid-pod drinks), and sort out how the play does and does not conform to typical analyses of tragedy. Madness; order; destruction: this one's got it all. Plus: stick around to the very end for a post-credits stinger. Theme music: "Shostakovich" by Mucca Pazza.

Pods... in... space...The boys are back and discussing their first foray into sci-fi, Samuel Delany's trippy, tricky Trouble on Triton. Karl explains all about Wittgenstein, metalogics, and Eutopias (yes, Eu). Friedrich and Søren try to keep up, with thoughts on war (huh - what it is it good for), the pleasures of wandering narrative, and... Evanescence?Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza

In this episode, the boys discuss Friedrich's first book pick: Shūsaku Endō's 1969 masterpiece Silence. They talk about secularism, syncretism, arrogance, and belief in the context of Endō's novel about Jesuit priests facing persecution in Japan. Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

In this episode, Karl and Soren are finally joined by long lost brother Friedrich, the third bastard son of Hegel, to discuss the work of philosopher/novelist Iris Murdoch. They begin by discussing her work of literary criticism "Against Dryness," (available here) and her insistence in a video interview that her philosophy and her creative writing are separate.Building on these discussions, the boys turn to Murdoch's strange, delightful 1961 novel A Severed Head, a tale filled with upper...

In this movie episode, originally only for patrons, Karl and Soren discuss Pixar's groundbreaking film Toy Story. Karl has some very strong thoughts: about the film's destructive worldview, about Sid as the true hero, and more. The boys also discuss the evolution of contemporary animated films and the Disneyfication of everything.

In Episode 5, Karl and Søren discuss James Baldwin's classic novel Giovanni's Room. They talk literary liberalism, guilt and shame, the importance of names, and the novel's interesting meta-structure. Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

In this final discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Karl and Søren discuss Smerdyakov and Ivan's sinister relationship, who's really to blame for Big Daddy K's death, novels vs. the law, and education and the good life. Plus, much more!Theme song: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

The boys are back with their first episode of The Watchers Karamazov, and Karl has come ready to spit fire. What makes Toy Story an insidious film? Why is Woody a ne'er-do-well? Find out all this and more in the full episode, available only for Patrons. Sign up at patreon.com/thereaderskaramazov. For now, enjoy this five minute teaser with a few of Karl's greatest hits.

In this episode, the boys discuss Part III of The Brothers Karamazov, paying particular attention to the characters of Alyosha, Grushenka, and Dmitri. Karl talks about the concept of the abject and how it plays out in this section, while Søren makes some jokes of questionable taste about corpses. Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.

In this episode, Karl and Søren discuss Part II of The Brothers Karamazov: everything, that is, but The Grand Inquisitor. They talk about baseness, proper ways of treating the poor, and Father Zosima's approach to holiness as a means of achieving unity on earth. Program note: our discussion of The Grand Inquisitor section of Part II is appearing as a separate podcast available only to our Patreon subscribers. Head over to our Patreon to sign up and get access today!

In the inaugural episode of The Readers Karamazov, co-hosts Karl and Søren discuss philosophy and literature, the aims of the podcast, Dostoevsky's oddities and convictions, and Part I of The Brothers Karamazov.Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.