Clarissa, written by Samuel Richardson, is a renowned epistolary novel that delves into the complexities of love, power, and personal freedom. The story centers on Clarissa Harlowe, a virtuous young woman caught in a web of familial conflict and romantic intrigue, as she navigates societal pressures and the manipulations of the unscrupulous Robert Lovelace. The novel culminates in a tragic conclusion, emphasizing the devastating consequences of Lovelace's actions and the societal constraints faced by women.
Martin Amis's "Inside Story" is a deeply personal and introspective autobiographical novel that delves into themes of love, loss, aging, and mortality. The narrative weaves together fictional elements with real-life experiences, offering a candid portrayal of the author's life and relationships. Amis reflects on his relationships with his father, Kingsley Amis, and other literary figures, exploring the complexities of family dynamics and the literary world. The book also grapples with the death of his close friend, Christopher Hitchens, and the author's own confrontation with mortality. Through vivid prose and intimate reflections, Amis creates a compelling and moving exploration of life's journey.
Published in 1857, 'Madame Bovary' is a seminal work of literary realism that tells the story of Emma Bovary, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who marries Charles Bovary, a dull and unambitious doctor. Emma's life is marked by boredom, romantic fantasies, and a series of ill-fated love affairs with men like Rodolphe and Léon. Her inability to distinguish between her romantic ideals and the harsh realities of her life leads to financial ruin, public scandal, and ultimately, her tragic demise. The novel is renowned for its masterful writing, detailed psychological insights, and its critique of bourgeois provincial life[2][3][5].
In 'Joseph Anton: A Memoir', Salman Rushdie recounts his life under the pseudonym Joseph Anton, a name derived from his favorite writers Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov. The memoir describes his period in hiding due to the fatwa issued after the publication of 'The Satanic Verses', detailing the grim and sometimes comic realities of living with armed police protection, his relationships, and his fight for freedom of speech. Written in the third person, the book provides an intimate and explosive account of Rushdie's personal and public struggles during this period.
To mark the passing of one of Britain's most celebrated writers, we’re replaying an event recorded with us in November 2020.
Martin Amis was often called the Mick Jagger of the British book world. As famous for his love affairs, his friendships and his complicated family history as for his dazzling prose, he dominated the literary scene for decades.
In this exclusive Intelligence Squared event, made in partnership with Penguin Live, he speaks about his much anticipated autobiographical novel Inside Story. It is perhaps Amis’s most intimate book, a meditation on love, loss, ageing and death. We encounter the vivid characters who have helped define Amis – his father Kingsley, his literary hero Saul Bellow, the poet Philip Larkin and his novelist stepmother Elizabeth Jane Howard.
And of course there is his lifelong friend and conversation partner, Christopher Hitchens, whose death from cancer he chronicles in some of the tenderest prose he has ever written.
In conversation with novelist Alex Preston, Amis reflects on his life and work and explore the hardest questions we all face: how to live, how to grieve, and how to die.
This podcast was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye with editing by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney
To hear the full length episode in which Amis goes into the urgency of youth, the legacy we leave, and dealing with the death of Hitchens, become an Intelligence Squared Supporter today, just visit IntelligenceSquared.com/members
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