Beyond the Walls Book Chat
J.R.R. Tolkien once said, "Fairy tales do not deny the existence of sorrow and failure; they give a fleeting glimpse of joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief."
This podcast is designed to take you on a journey beyond those walls to discover the joy, wisdom, and timeless lessons classic books offer. If you have a thirst for knowledge, a love for literature, and a desire to grow through the wisdom of authors long gone then this podcast is for you. Use these episodes to curate a personal reading list that enriches your mind and soul. Let's embark on a literary adventure together and find the joy that lies beyond the walls.
Please send all questions, comments, and book recommendations to beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com.
Episodes
94 episodes
John v Jean
Beware the doppelganger. Find out how tonight's featured author reworks the timeless theme of the villainous twin.Thoughts or comments? Email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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31:50
The Banned Master
Tonight's episode reviews an old book that was banned from being printed until 1973. Why are some books challenged? Should their questionable content stop us from reading them? What's a better way to approach different ideas and viewpoints?...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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25:09
The Weight of the d'Urbervilles
How much of the cares of this world can one woman carry on her shoulders? Thomas Hardy tries to answer this question in his classic, Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Tonight's episode explores the worldviews Hardy struggled with in Victorian...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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41:33
What Are We Reading?
Our first episode of Season 6 looks at four things about better books that can change our lives when we read them.If you have any questions or comments, please email them to me at beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com.
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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30:58
A Walking Shadow
Macbeth's hold on reality is in shambles, his fiend-like queen is being eaten up by guilt, and an army is marching to the gates of the castle. The house of Glamis is about to fall. What is special about Macduff that will allow him to be the vic...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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22:33
Something Wicked
"Since only goodness can raise a man above the level of humankind, it follows that it is proper that wickedness thrusts down to a level below mankind those whom it has dethroned from the condition of being human." -BoethiusIn Act 4 Macbe...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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23:10
Blood Will Have Blood
Has Macbeth reached the point of no return? What is compelling him to kill again and when will he stop?
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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23:56
Death's Counterfeit
In Act 2 Macbeth strikes the fatal blow to King Duncan and begins his slow descent into evil and madness. Throughout this part of the play Shakespeare alludes to the deep symbolism of sleep as death and demonstrates the corruption of Macbeth's ...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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30:48
Tempting Fate
Foggy, rocky, foul, and mysterious the Scottish Play opens on the blasted heath. Nothing is as it seems. False faces hide traitorous thoughts, and weird sisters whisper cryptic predictions. Act 1 of Macbeth leads us into an uncertain and dark w...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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39:58
The Scottish Play
Tonight's episode looks at the context for Shakespeare's Macbeth. What was happening in England around the time it was written? What's the historical source for the characters and is that source reliable? What are the questions the bard asks of...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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23:53
Soup of Stories
The Western canon and beyond contain the building blocks of all our stories. Tolkien called these blocks the Soup of Stories. Tonight's episode is based on this article by Angelina Stanford from The Classical Reader:
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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21:53
A Leader Wins
Books 10-12 of The Aeneid wrap up the great epic that is the founding of Rome. How does it all come together and what's the deal with the abrupt ending? All this is covered in tonight's final episode discussing Virgil's opus.
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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28:05
A Leader Prepares
Even though Aeneas has guided his men to their future home the conflict is only beginning. Rather than allowing a peaceful transition Juno goes on a rage and sets the people of Latium and their neighbors the Rutulians against the Trojans. So Ae...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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27:52
A Leader Moves Forward
Tonight we follow Aeneas across the sea to Sicily for an entire book of games and competition, sadly followed by disaster. From there Book 6 takes Aenea into the underworld to meet with his father and see the future glories of Rome...or maybe h...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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23:21
A Leader Falls
Things were looking up for Aeneas. But he took his eyes off his goal with terrible consequences. Tonight's episode will stay inside Book IV of The Aeneid and explore the fate of Carthage's tragic queen, Dido.
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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30:26
A Leader is Rising
The first three books in the Roman epic are full of examples of Aeneas rising as a strong leader. After 2000 years how does this book hold up to our expectations of leaders today?
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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32:51
The Roman Epic
Tonight we begin an exploration into the world of Virgil and his epic poem, The Aeneid. Why did he pen this grand masterpiece? What was his inspiration for the Roman narrative? And who is the hero, Aeneus? This is only the first episod...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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29:43
On the Hunt
Tonight is the last episode of Dracula. The action speeds up as our heroes hunt Dracula from the English Isle across Europe. They must catch him before he reaches his castle. Just when they think they've lost the trail an unexpected character s...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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30:42
Two Layers of Seeing
As the tension builds and the story structure becomes more complex we as the readers have two ways of looking at this book. Tonight's episode covers what Stoker is doing to weave his storytelling and how it's important to us to slow down and le...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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22:32
The Invasion
Count Dracula is arriving in England, and oh what terror there is in store for the people of Whitby! Tonight we look at the structure of this story. Stoker designs his book differently than a typical hero's journey tale. The weaving of the plot...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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27:31
Building Terror
The genius storytelling of Stoker is evident as the terror builds immediately in the book as we move from foreign worlds of wildness and mystery to a crumbling castle where Jonathan Harker is held prisoner. Tonight's episode covers the imagery ...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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30:07
Character Development
Before we get into the storyline, plot devices, and symbolism, we need to review the main (and not so main) characters. Tonight's episode reviews the cast of Dracula and looks closer at who the real heroes are.
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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24:53
The Unrepressed Novel
Kicking off season five tonight's episode begins a journey through the Victorian world of Dracula. What's the true historical context behind the novel and what storytelling beauty are we missing when we project a 21st century face...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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22:40
Definitions and Suggestions
Tonight's episode is a continuation of the thoughts from last week. I've attempted to clarify better what I mean by old books, and I've also included some modern reading recommendations.
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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22:11
The Case for Old Books
Tonight's episode walks through C.S. Lewis's reasons to read old books followed by mine. I don't believe my argument is fully fleshed out and next week I hope to have more details, definitions, and maybe even some book suggestions, so please ch...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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26:02