Person
Every book Alex Ross recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Alex Ross has recommended or discussed 5 books on podcasts, as of October 30, 2020.
- Alex Ross has talked about books on 2 podcasts, as of October 30, 2020.
- Those books came up in 2 episodes, as of October 30, 2020.
- The 3 books Alex Ross has mentioned in the most episodes, as of October 30, 2020: Ulysses, My Ántonia and O Pioneers!.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Alex Ross aired on October 30, 2020.
Updated
Across 2 podcasts. Every show Alex Ross appears on, in one place — not just one.
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
James Joyce's landmark modernist novel Ulysses chronicles an ordinary day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin, mapping human consciousness and daily existence through a revolutionary stream-of-consciousness technique.
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”
Where to get it
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My Ántonia
Willa Cather's classic novel My Ántonia portrays life on the Nebraska frontier through the perspective of an immigrant family and their neighbors.
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
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”
Where to get it
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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”
Where to get it
Books Alex Ross wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Writing Career Among Trailblazing Music Stars | The Book Review | 2020-10-30 | 4 |
| Alex Ross on Music, Culture, and Criticism | Conversations with Tyler | 2020-09-22 | 2 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and in the context and i talk about this in the book it's absolutely ironic this is a catastrophe unfolding”