793 The Secret Order of Shandeans: Laurence Sterne in Early Soviet Russia (with Peter Budrin) | My Last Book with Edward Watts

About this episode

Jacke Wilson discusses the impact of Laurence Sterne's works in early Soviet Russia with Peter Budrin and explores Edward Watts' choice for his last book.

The 1920s were a tumultuous time for Russia, as the nation careened from the aftermath of revolution to the death of Lenin, the establishment of the Soviet Union, and the slide toward Stalinist totalitarianism. Given all of that serious upheaval, what explains the public's passion for the works of an 18th-century Anglican clergyman best known for his tongue-in-cheek narratives Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey? In this episode, Jacke talks to Peter Budrin about his book Laurence Sterne and His Readers in Early Soviet Russia: The Secret Order of Shandeans. PLUS Edward Watts (The Romans: A 2,000-Year History) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. AND one of the twentieth-century's most provocative literary figures Anaïs Nin on the power of reading. 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…

People in this episode

Host: Jacke Wilson

Guests: Peter Budrin, Edward Watts

Topics covered

• Russian literature
• Soviet history
• Laurence Sterne
• literary figures
• reading
• book recommendations

Keywords

• Sterne
• Soviet Union
• literature
• revolution
• reading
• book
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Podglomerate, Lit Hub Radio, patreon.com/literature, historyofliterature.com/donate, gabrielruizbernal.com, thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature

Books & works: Tristram Shandy, A Sentimental Journey, Laurence Sterne and His Readers in Early Soviet Russia: The Secret Order of Shandeans

More episodes of The History of Literature

• 809 Robert Browning | The Dutch Roots of Washington Irving (with Elisabeth Paling Funk) · June 11, 2026 · 1h 26m
• 808 A Treacherous Secret Agent - How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare (with Marjorie Garber) | Arthur Miller on Writing "The Crucible" · June 8, 2026 · 57 min
• 807 The Story of Stories (with Kevin Ashton) | My Last Book with Ilya Vinitsky and James H McGavran III · June 4, 2026 · 1h 12m
• 806 Robert Frost (with Adam Plunkett) | My Last Book with Ursula Buchan · June 1, 2026 · 53 min
• 805 Robert Frost Finds a Friend [Revisited] · May 28, 2026 · 55 min
• 804 Shakespeare and Loss (with Sarah Beckwith) | My Last Book with Caroline Lea · May 25, 2026 · 1h 4m