
Hardcore Literature
Welcome to your new favourite book club. If you enjoy deep dives into the greatest books ever written, you will love Hardcore Literature. Provocative poems, evocative epics, and life-changing literary analyses. We don’t just read the great books - we live them. Together we’ll suck the marrow out of Shakespeare, Homer, and Tolstoy. We’ll relish the most moving art ever committed to the page and stage from every age. Join us on the reading adventure of a lifetime.
Latest episodes

Dec 15, 2020 • 52min
Ep 18 - The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
The podcast delves into the themes of confession, art, and narcissism in Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. It explores Wilde's controversial theories on art and morality, the contrasting aesthetics of Dionysian and Apollonian, and the evolution of art from romanticism to contemplation. The narrative also discusses the moral evolution of Dorian Gray, emphasizing self-reflection and personal growth.

Nov 24, 2020 • 28min
Ep 17 - The Screwtape Letters (C. S. Lewis)
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin

Nov 12, 2020 • 1h 5min
Ep 16 - Richard III (Shakespeare)
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin

Oct 23, 2020 • 54min
Ep 15 - The Q&A Show: Answering Your Questions About Books, Reading & Literature
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin

Sep 28, 2020 • 37min
Ep 14 - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea (Yukio Mishima)
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin

6 snips
Jul 31, 2020 • 27min
Ep 12 - How to Talk to Your Shadow: Practical Tips from Jungian Psychology
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin

Jul 22, 2020 • 1h
Ep 11 - Metamorphoses (Ovid)
Today we’re kicking off a new series called ‘The Psychological Significance of the Classic Myths’, starting with the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. We’ll discuss the dangers of creating your own reality, taking risks, hubris, arrogance, living a life of virtue, sin, the fall of Lucifer, the Dunning Krueger Effect, poetry from W. H. Auden and William Carlos Williams, paintings by Titian and Brueghel, and much more.

Jul 20, 2020 • 32min
Ep 10 - Aristotle's Virtues: Ambition and Good Temper
Today's Hardcore Literature episode is about Aristotle's ethicsand the virtues of ambition and good temper. We're talking about honour, how to cultivate the right ambition, snowflake syndrome, the four common types of anger, how to challenge your unconscious underlying beliefs about the world, and much more. And I'm giving away three copies of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Information on how to get hold of a copy at the beginning of the episode and further below.

Jul 17, 2020 • 32min
Ep 9 - How to Read and Appreciate Short Stories

Jul 9, 2020 • 15min