Ars Libri

Tuck Everlasting is a novel by Natalie Babbitt, published in 1975. It follows ten-year-old Winnie Foster, a sheltered girl from the village of Treegap, who ventures into the nearby woods and discovers a hidden spring that grants eternal life. Winnie encounters the immortal Tuck family, who drank from the spring decades ago and have remained unchanged ever since. As Winnie grows close to the Tucks—especially the youthful Jesse—she considers the question of whether living forever is a blessing or a curse, while a mysterious stranger threatens to expose their secret. The story thoughtfully explores themes of life, death, and the natural cycle of existence. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

A truly Great Book and wonderful story about the lives of gentry in late 18th century England. Everyone - including men - should read the book at least twice.We also recommend watching the six-part BBC movie series. Wholesome for any ages. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

Today we’re stepping back to 1906 with E. Nesbit’s timeless classic, The Railway Children—a story of three brave siblings whose ordinary world turns upside down, leading them to a little house by the tracks where adventure, courage, and real-life lessons wait around every bend. If you’ve ever wanted a book that feels like it was written for curious homeschool hearts, this is it.The movie filmed in the year 2000 is quite good. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

A major Italian epic from the 1500s. You should absolutely read and reread this one.This story weaves all of classical mythology, Arthurian romances, European Christendom, and even gets into pre-modern “sci-fi”. It’s a tour de force in Western Tradition, civilization, and culture - with heavy doses of comedy, tragedy, adventure, love, and war.Gustave Dore drew over 200 illustrations for this story.I recommend the Oxford World Classics translation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

I was led to the works of Isaac Azimov from one of Tolkien’s letters where he said, “I read quite a lot – or more truly, try to read many books (notably so-called Science Fiction and Fantasy)…I enjoy the S.F. of Isaac Azimov.”Azimov’s writings have profoundly influenced scientifically-minded inventors, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders. His works have been made into film, and there are at least three huge corporations today (Google being one) that have modeled themselves on the ideas found in Azimov’s stories. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This episode is from my other podcast: Ars Politica. I read a few hilarious and charming scenes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. These scenes capture the spirit of Christmas that once was and hopefully will be again.Ars Libri is a book podcast for everyone: students, parents, young and adult readers. For more politically-focused book discussions, checkout Ars Politica. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

H.L. Mencken was a journalist in the early 20th century whose satirical wit and anti-christian rhetoric gained him everlasting fame. So, I was surprised to learn that he wrote a story about Christmas. Working as a journalist in Baltimore, he was witness to an attempt by “freethinkers” (atheists, agnostics, skeptics, etc) to provide a Christmas feast for the homeless that would outshine similar efforts by Christians. The goal was to prove that religion isn’t needed to be a morally good person. But the entire thing backfired spectacularly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.comC.S. Lewis wrote many essays on literature and fiction. “On Stories” discusses the importance of actually reading and discussing stories, as opposed to merely using stories for critical analysis of society, culture, or other issues.