Person
Every book Elif Batuman recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Elif Batuman has recommended or discussed 4 books on podcasts, as of March 31, 2017.
- Elif Batuman has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of March 31, 2017.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of March 31, 2017.
- The 3 books Elif Batuman has mentioned in the most episodes, as of March 31, 2017: Crime and Punishment, Demons and The Brothers Karamazov.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Elif Batuman aired on March 31, 2017.
Updated
Elif Batuman appeared on The Book Review to discuss her literary work and her deep engagement with Russian literature, reflecting on several major works by Fyodor Dostoevsky that shaped her writing career. Batuman noted that Crime and Punishment was the first Dostoevsky novel she read, making it a text with a special place in her heart from her youth. She later studied The Brothers Karamazov during an amazing lecture class taught by Monika Greenleaf at Stanford University, which helped her acquire a more adult and theoretical understanding of Dostoevsky's work. Furthermore, Batuman discussed Dostoevsky's novel Demons, which she originally envisioned retelling through a novel titled The Possessed set in a Stanford-like comparative literature graduate program during the early nineties. When publishers showed no interest in that initial novel pitch, Batuman instead wrote several essays about her experiences involving Russian literature, which ultimately evolved into her own acclaimed book, The Possessed. Throughout the podcast discussion, Batuman illustrated how foundational nineteenth-century Russian masterpieces directly informed her personal intellectual development and her trajectory as a contemporary writer.
Books recommended by Elif Batuman
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Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound psychological novel that explores guilt, morality, and the severe consequences of moral relativism and nihilism.
Discussed“the first one I read was Crime and Punishment and that was the one that really struck me at that early moment of Youth when I think one is especially receptive to DVI so that has a special place in my heart”
Where to get it
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Demons
Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound novel exploring the societal and psychological chaos that erupts when ideological dogmas displace spiritual frameworks.
Discussed“I actually wanted to write a novel called the possessed which I thought of as a retelling of dust's Novel the demons which is often translated as the possessed set in a Stanford likee comparative literature graduate program in the earlys”
Where to get it
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The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound philosophical novel that explores deep spiritual questions surrounding faith, free will, morality, and the human condition.
Discussed“and then Brothers Kaza I te in a amazing lecture class by Monika Greenleaf at Stanford and that was when I kind of acquired a more adult theoretical understanding of DKI”
Where to get it
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The Possessed
The Possessed by Elif Batuman is an engaging collection of essays subtitled Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them.
Discussed“and while I was kind of pitching this novel that nobody was interested in I managed to write several essays about experiences involving Russian literature and then those ended up becoming the book The possessed”
Where to get it
Books Elif Batuman wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Charm of 'The Idiot' | The Book Review | 2017-03-31 | 4 |