Person
Every book Alex Ross recommended on podcasts
Alex Ross's podcast appearances on The Book Review and Conversations with Tyler reflect the perspective of a dedicated cultural and music critic whose literary interests are deeply intertwined with artistic history. Ross frequently draws connections between literature and classical music, particularly the legacy of Wagner. He discussed how James Joyce incorporated and subsequently mocked Wagnerian themes in Ulysses, a novel Ross fell in love with and read at age eighteen, and noted how Stephen Dedalus serves as an image of the young Joyce. Additionally, Ross highlighted the Wagnerian tropes and powerful female figures present in Willa Cather's novels, including The Song of the Lark, O Pioneers!, and My Ántonia. Beyond high literature and classical music, Ross also connected literary and cultural phenomena across mediums, mentioning J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to discuss Led Zeppelin's fascination with fantasy and the Wagnerian ethos in popular music. Through these varied references, Ross presents as a critic who seamlessly bridges the worlds of literature, high art, and popular culture, using books to trace the broader currents of artistic influence.
Books recommended by Alex Ross
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Ulysses
Ulysses by James Joyce is a monumental modernist novel that chronicles a single day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin, mirroring the structure of Homer's Odyssey.
Discussed“and then Joyce retreated from it somewhat and kind of questioned undermined even mocked Vagner ISM so in ulses you know Steven Deus very much the kind of image of the young James Joyce”
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My Ántonia
My Ántonia by Willa Cather is a celebrated 1918 novel that captures the immigrant experience and the sweeping landscape of the American Nebraska frontier.
Discussed“and O pioneers and and my Antonia you can sort of see her fondness for the figure of Brun Hilda especially vogner's powerful female figures”
Where to get it
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O Pioneers!
Discussed“and O pioneers and and my Antonia you can sort of see her fondness for the figure of Brun Hilda especially vogner's powerful female figures”
Where to get it
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The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.
Discussed“and i think going back to uh led zeppelin uh and their fascination with the lord of the rings and tolkien kind of brings them into the you know zone of the of the wagnerian uh the hammer of the gods”
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The Song of the Lark
Discussed“one of her great novels the song of the Lark is entirely the biography of a of a Vagner soprano”
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Books Alex Ross wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Writing Career Among Trailblazing Music Stars | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 4 |
| Alex Ross on Music, Culture, and Criticism | Conversations with Tyler | 2020-09-22 | 2 |