720 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time - #24 "The Odyssey" by Homer | The Conclusion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (with Mike Palindrome)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

History, Books, Arts

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jacke continues his analysis of "The 25 Greatest Books of All Time" by a special look at Homer's Odyssey. Then Mike Palindrome, the president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a discussion of the second half of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," in which a young midwesterner travels to a secluded Montana estate filled with lavish wealth and cheerful psychopaths. Additional listening: 719 The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Part 1 713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) Special Announcement: The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠John Shors Travel⁠. Find out more by emailing [email protected] or [email protected], or by contacting us through our website ⁠historyofliterature.com⁠. Or visit the ⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠ at ⁠John Shors Travel⁠. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠gabrielruizbernal.com. Help support the show at ⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠or ⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and Lit Hub Radio.
0:09.0	Hey folks, it's Jack here to promote something that's a little special, not a thing and not a service,
0:15.1	an opportunity for you to have an experience. The History of Literature podcast is going on the road,
0:24.1	and you can join us. Our first stop is Literary England, the land of Dr. Johnson and Jane
0:30.0	Austin and Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Oh, and Dickens. Oh, and Shakespeare. Perhaps you've
0:36.7	heard of him. This isn't a trip where you
0:39.2	march from site to site, checking off boxes. Seen it, seen it, seen it, seen it. This is a week,
0:44.9	plus a little more traveling with me and Emma in a group of other fans of literature. All of us
0:51.1	enjoying our conversations, our chance to learn and grow and be inspired by
0:56.5	these writers and their works that we love so much.
1:00.1	With special visits along the way from past guests of the show, your favorites, who will
1:04.3	deepen our appreciation for what we're seeing.
1:07.4	So please consider it.
1:08.9	We would love to have you.
1:12.3	You can learn more by going to John Shores Travel, that's S-H-O-R-S, and look for the upcoming trip to England with Jack Wilson,
1:19.1	or reach out to us at history of literature.com, and we will tell you all the details. It's going to be
1:25.4	in May of 2026, but act now to secure your spot.
1:29.8	Space is limited. And let's all spend some quality time together, enjoying literature and enjoying life.
1:37.4	I've rolled out uni because I want to live at home. I've ruled out uni because I want to earn money.
1:43.2	I've ruled out uni because of want to earn money. I've ruled out uni because of my grades.
1:47.0	Study with the Open University and there's no need to rule out anything.
1:51.0	With our respected degrees, you can learn from home and work alongside study.
	...

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