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Episode details

Radio 4,09 Jun 2024,28 mins

Ep 4: Uneasy Dreams

Orwell vs Kafka

Available for over a year

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” - Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, 1915. In this episode Helen Lewis and Ian Hislop talk anxiety and alienation. From Gregor Samsa being transformed into a giant insect, to shouting at a telescreen in 1984's Two Minutes Hate - Ian and Helen discover why these anxiety ridden images still connect with readers today. Guests: Dr Karolina Watroba of All Souls College, Oxford Dr Nathan Waddell of the University of Birmingham Wolfgang Hantel-Quitmann, Professor of Clinical and Family Psychology. Producer: Sarah Shebbeare

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