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The Infinite Library

John Hagele

A podcast about books, mortality, and what to do with your limited time with both. Hosted by John & Ben.

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  • 21 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 1 hr 54 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • September 15 · 1 hr 43 min

    Episode 72 - "Max Havelaar, or, the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company" by Multatuli

    This week John and Ben discuss what might be greatest novel in the history of the very silly Dutch language: "Max Havelaar, or, the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company" by Multatuli. Topics of conversation include the absurd structures of colonial administration, the origins of Indonesian statehood, and books no one in the English speaking world have heard of that changed the world. As always, we hope that you enjoy the conversation. Note: John was having some microphone difficulties throughout the episode, so the audio is a little inconsistent on this one. Problem should be fixed by next episode :)

  • September 1 · 2 hr 9 min

    Episode 71 - "The Tunnel" by William Gass, Part 3

    We're back in the Tunnel! This week, we discuss how Gass does and does not make his characters sympathetic, how Kohler would be as a professor, and a major twist in the story!

  • August 18 · 1 hr 42 min

    Episode 70 - "Possession" by AS Byatt

    This week we're discussing "Possession" by AS Byatt. Topics of conversation include literary pastiche, the pleasures and perils of genre, and The Middlebrow. As always, we hope that you enjoy the conversation.

  • August 5 · 2 hr 13 min

    Episode 69 (nice) - "The Tunnel" by William Gass, part 2

    Somehow we didn't even notice that this was Episode 69 while we were recording. We sincerely apologize to our listeners for the lack of 69-related bits. We hope that, despite our oversight, you enjoy Part 2 of our series on "The Tunnel" by William Gass.

  • July 31 · 2 hr 12 min

    Bonus Episode #10 - "The Odyssey" (2026)

    John and Ben get topical and talk about John's #1 Op's new movie: Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey". We chat about our relationships with the source material, Christopher Nolan's aesthetic sensibility (or lack thereof), Emily Wilson's translation and thoughts on translation, and how good Robert Pattinson is. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation.

  • July 7 · 1 hr 35 min

    Episode 67 - "The Tunnel" by William Gass, Part 1

    We begin our Summer 2026 series on "The Tunnel" by William Gass. Topics of conversation include, literary Big Boys, Gass' problematizing of academic humanism, and The Fasicism of the Heart. As always, we hope that you enjoy the conversation.

  • June 24 · 1 hr 58 min

    Episode 66 - "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice

    We're back and it's Pride! As is tradition, John has made Ben read a big gay book, in this case Anne Rice's classic "Interview with the Vampire". Before we discuss the book, we do a brief debrief on last season and Woke 2. Then we dig into the goth gayness of Anne Rice's bloodsuckers. Topics of conversations include the life and times of Anne Rice, the figure of the vampire in literature, and the recent adaptation of IWTV. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation! We'll be back in two weeks with our first episode on William Gass' "The Tunnel"!

  • May 19 · 1 hr 55 min

    Episode 65 - "Rakesfall" by Vajra Chandrasekera

    We close out this season by discussing "Rakesfall" by Vajra Chandrasekera. This might be one of the toughest books to have a straightforward conversation about that we've done, but we hope our chit chat is still enjoyable to listen to. Vajra's Unbuddhism essay: https://vajra.me/2021/10/27/%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%B6%E0%B7%9E%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B0%E0%B6%9A%E0%B6%B8-unbuddhism/ WE'RE TAKING A VACATION! The Infinite Library will return in mid-June. We'll share next season's schedule before then. Stay Cool, Bookheads!

  • May 5 · 1 hr 50 min

    Episode 64 - "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers" by Xiaolu Guo

    This week, John and Ben discuss Xiaolu Guo's "A Concise-Chinese Dictionary for Lovers". Topics of conversation include the Guo's use of film references, use of non-standard English in fiction, and the arc of modern Chinese history as observed in the show. As always, we hope you enjoy our conversation!

  • April 22 · 2 hr 6 min

    Episode 63 - "Three Lives" by Gertrude Stein

    This week, we're wrapping up our Modernist mini-season by reading "Three Lives" by Gertrude Stein. We discuss our relationships with Stein and other Lost Generation writers, Stein's tactile language, and why something so well written is also so painfully racist. As always, we hope that you enjoy the conversation.

  • April 7 · 1 hr 37 min

    Episode 62 - "Dunfords Travels Everywheres" by William Melvin Kelley

    Our modernism mini-season starts with a conversation about "Dunfords Travels Everywheres" by William Melvin Kelley. Topics of conversation include the differences between modernism and post-modernism, the way Kelley pushes the English language, and the role language can play in liberation. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation!

  • March 25 · 1 hr 42 min

    Episode 61 - "Wormwood" by Poppy Z. Brite

    This week we continue our exploration of the Gen X Horror guys by reading "Wormwood" by Poppy Z. Brite. As always, we hope that you enjoy our conversation!

  • March 10 · 2 hr 4 min

    Episode 60 - "My Heart is a Chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones

    This week, John and Ben are joined by friend of the pod, Kara, to discuss Stephen Graham Jones' love letter to the Slasher genre: "My Heart is a Chainsaw". Topics of conversation include SGJ's background, the slasher's place in American mythology, and the cyclical nature of violence. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation!

  • February 24 · 2 hr 24 min

    Episode 59 - "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas (feat. Claire)

    Friend-of-the-Pod Claire is back in the stacks to discuss the grandmommy of the Romantasy genre: "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas. Topics of discussion include the genealogy of Romantasy as a genre, the politics of when and where sex appears on the page, and how many male writers can't write about women. As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation!

  • February 10 · 2 hr 6 min

    Episode 58 - "Trouble on Triton" by Samuel R. Delany

    What do you do if you live in the Electric Psychadelic Pussycat Swinger's Club, but you're the one cat too un-groovy to find it shagadelic? This is the vital question at the heart of Samuel R. Delany's "Trouble on Triton". John and Ben get weird, discussing science fiction, the nature of desire, and how this book compares to "The Dispossessed". As always, we hope you enjoy our conversation!

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes