Lionel Shriver and Mary Harrington: Is the “Better Life” Dream Collapsing?
About this episode
Lionel Shriver joins Mary Harrington to discuss the cultural implications of the 'better life' dream and its impact on modern society.
In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, novelist Lionel Shriver joins Harrington for a wide-ranging and incisive conversation on her novel A Better Life and the deeper cultural longings it exposes. Together, they probe the enduring myth of “a better life” and how it shapes modern views on immigration in both the United States and the United Kingdom. They also dive into the fertility crisis, shifting expectations around modern masculinity, and broader social currents redefining family, identity, and belonging in the West. Thought-provoking and unflinching, this dialogue explores what we mean when we seek a better life, and whether the promise still holds. The post Lionel Shriver and Mary Harrington: Is the “Better Life” Dream Collapsing? first appeared on Socrates in the City .
People in this episode
Host: Mary Harrington
Guest: Lionel Shriver
Topics covered
- better life
- cultural longings
- immigration
- fertility crisis
- modern masculinity
- family
- identity
Keywords
- better life
- cultural critique
- immigration
- fertility crisis
- masculinity
- family dynamics
- identity
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: A Better Life
Places: United States, United Kingdom
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