Totalitarian Novels: Darkness at Noon and Regret

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss discuss what distinguishes Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon from the rest of the novels covered in the course before introducing Hillsdale College president Dr. Larry P. Arnn.

Totalitarian novels depict regimes that exert complete and pervasive control over the lives of their subjects. George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Arthur Koestler, and C.S. Lewis imagine the terrible possibilities of unchecked modern tyranny. Join Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, and Hillsdale College students in this exploration of 1984, Brave New World, Darkness at Noon, and That Hideous Strength.

The course includes four lectures and four conversations, each about 30 minutes long. It is structured with one lecture about each book followed by a conversation between Dr. Arnn and the students about themes from that book. 

Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon fictionalizes the experience of an old Bolshevik revolutionary after Stalin’s rise to power. Through his arrest and interrogations, Rubashov regrets the deaths on his hands and his role in creating a new generation of cruel Bolsheviks who are dedicated to the leadership of the party rather than the ideals of the revolution.

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