LitLessons

Enter the haunting world of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as we follow the ambitious Victor Frankenstein from the peaceful shores of Geneva to the "wild and mysterious regions" of the North. This episode of The Deep Dive uncovers Victor’s obsession with the "deepest mysteries of creation" and the "incredible labour" he endures to bestow life upon "lifeless matter". We witness the tragic emergence of his "miserable monster", a being born into isolation and immediate rejection by its creator. The narrative takes us into the creature's own words as he recounts his days hiding near a remote cottage, where he learns of human love and the "science of letters" only to be driven away by prejudice and fear. As Victor’s "ardent curiosity" transforms into a "serpent to sting" him, maker and monster engage in a fatal chase across the glaciers of Switzerland and the barren Orkney Islands. Join us for a journey through this gothic classic that questions the limits of science, the nature of humanity, and the weight of "unparalleled misfortunes".

Set sail with The Deep Dive into Herman Melville's nineteenth-century masterpiece, Moby Dick. Follow Ishmael from the freezing streets of New Bedford to the deck of the Pequod as he finds a brother in the tattooed harpooneer Queequeg. Explore the terrifying depths of Captain Ahab's obsession and his philosophical quest to strike through the masks of the universe. From meditations on the sublime whiteness of the whale to the tragic finality of the three-day chase, we go below the surface of a tale that remains one of literature's greatest voyages. Discover how life ultimately emerges from death in this immersive story of vengeance and the inscrutable sea.