

#1372
Mentioned in 17 episodes
Life and Fate
Book • 2022
Written in 1959, 'Life and Fate' is a monumental novel that narrates the story of the Shaposhnikov family during the Great Patriotic War. The novel is set against the backdrop of the Battle of Stalingrad and delves into the lives of numerous characters, including Soviet physicist Viktor Shtrum, who grapples with anti-Semitism and moral dilemmas in a totalitarian state.
The book juxtaposes the horrors of war and the Gulag with the intimate lives of its characters, exploring profound philosophical and moral questions.
Despite its initial suppression by the KGB, the novel was eventually smuggled out of the Soviet Union and has since been recognized as one of the greatest Russian novels of the 20th century.
The book juxtaposes the horrors of war and the Gulag with the intimate lives of its characters, exploring profound philosophical and moral questions.
Despite its initial suppression by the KGB, the novel was eventually smuggled out of the Soviet Union and has since been recognized as one of the greatest Russian novels of the 20th century.
Mentioned by

















Mentioned in 17 episodes
Mentioned by 

when discussing antisemitism.


Douglas Murray

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#463 – Douglas Murray: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Israel, Netanyahu, Hamas & Gaza
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in a discussion about happiness and meaning in life.


Jacob Howland

328 snips
536. Ancient Stories That Bridge The Heavens & The Earth | Jacob Howland
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in a discussion about antisemitism and its complexities.


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171 snips
#296 – Douglas Murray: Racism, Marxism, and the War on the West
Mentioned by 

as a great novel.


Tyler Cowen

135 snips
Neal Stephenson on History, Spycraft, and American-Soviet Parallels
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and 

as a monumental novel, often compared to Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'.


Russ Roberts


Tyler Cowen

102 snips
Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate
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and 

as a sprawling masterpiece and possibly the greatest novel of the 20th century or ever.


Russ Roberts


Tyler Cowen

96 snips
Tyler Cowen on Life and Fate
Mentioned by 

in the context of discussing historical fiction and its relation to history and character-driven narratives.


Tyler Cowen

73 snips
Tyler Cowen: Trump's DOGE team should read Shakespeare.
Mentioned by 

as one of his books.


Douglas Murray

65 snips
Douglas Murray: This is About Survival
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

and 

for his insights on anti-Semitism and his experiences during Stalin's Russia.

Aaron MacLean


Douglas Murray

31 snips
Ep 193: Douglas Murray on Israel’s War and its Global Consequences
Mentioned by 

as a book to read before a future episode.


Russ Roberts

29 snips
Susan Cain on Bittersweet and the Happiness of Melancholy
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and 

throughout the podcast as the focus of their conversation on translation.


Russ Roberts


Robert Chandler

25 snips
Translating Life and Fate (with Robert Chandler)
Mentioned by 

to illustrate the ongoing battle between good and evil in the context of the war in Ukraine.


Arkady Ostrovsky

18 snips
The Weekend Intelligence: Life and fate
Mentioned by 

as the best novel of the 20th century, focusing on the Nazi invasion.


Jacob Howland

15 snips
The Wisdom of Athens and Jerusalem and Lessons for Today: Jacob Howland
Recommended by 

for its panoramic view of the Soviet and Nazi regimes during wartime.


Russ Roberts

12 snips
Why Housing Is Artificially Expensive and What Can Be Done About It (with Bryan Caplan)
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a reference in his own book.

Collin Hansen

11 snips
Why Our Children Don't Want to Be Parents
Mentioned by 

when discussing the importance of individual freedom and dignity.


Jacob Howland

#628: The Rise of Secular Religion and the New Puritanism
Mentioned by 

when discussing his Substack and his return to historical writing.


Adam Tooze

Tooze and Klein on China's Economic History and Future

Collin Hansen

Summer Reading with Melissa Kruger
Mentioned when discussing the nature of totalitarian systems.

Situation reporter: Evan Gershkovich’s detention
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

in relation to his book "Life and Fate", which explores the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit.

Collin Hansen

Hope vs. Despair - Collin Hansen