Don Juan by Lord Byron (1819)

Get ready to dive into the ultimate epic of scandal, wit, and high-seas adventure as we unpack Lord Byron's masterpiece, Don Juan. First published in installments beginning in 1819, this sprawling satirical poem flips the legendary libertine's story on its head; instead of a predatory womanizer, Byron gives us an innocent, often hapless young man who is constantly being pursued by the world's most powerful women. From a secret affair in Spain to a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, and from the harems of Constantinople to the high society of London, Byron uses Juan's travels as a vehicle to roast the hypocrisy, politics, and "polite" morality of the 19th century. Join us as we explore why this unfinished work remains the boldest, funniest, and most self-aware "epic" ever written by a man who was famously described as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."