The (almost) Invisible String of Literary Allusions
an episode dedicated to finding allusions in literature and beyond
There is something delightfully satisfying about getting an author’s indirect and sometimes subtle references to other literary greats in their work—like unlocking a bonus achievement in the midst of your engrossing read. Looking for literary allusions in any book (or at least happening upon them—we don’t suggest a Nancy Drew style of searching!) is helpful in understanding the broader scope of a writer’s work, what themes they are attempting to reveal, and the ways books are speak to each other.
If you enjoy sussing out subtle references to other works of literature and culture as much as we do, we think you’ll love today’s episode where we discuss all things literary allusions on the podcast. We’re breaking down what a literary allusion exactly is and helping readers differentiate between similar literary devices like direct references and motifs. Plus, we’re giving an overview of major historical works most often alluded to, plus a sizable TBR of classics to read for accessing other classics and contemporary literature. A bonus is that we’ve already covered a good deal of the classics on our list on the podcast, so if you need a refresher or want to listen to our breakdown of the book, you can find each episode linked in our show notes!
Make sure to download to today’s episode wherever you listen to podcasts.
Links
Allusions are everywhere—literally everywhere. From movies, to TV shows, to titles of books, or music. If you’re curious about some standout literary allusions in culture, check out this list from Book Riot about 50 Famous Books Taken From Literature, this compilation of literary allusions in the 1990s teen comedy Clueless! (it’s also an Emma retelling), ten bands whose names were inspired by works of literature, and the best literary moments in the classic female-BFF sitcom, Golden Girls.
Swifties have been known to pick up on Taylor’s subtle references of every kind, including literary references. Check out this list from Insider of 20 literary allusions you can find in Swift’s music (including one astute observation from Sara herself 🧵).
This short essay from the Wall Street Journal raises fair points about the difficulties of using allusions to works of literature in modern times and how Google has made the ability to use allusions “more democratic and more generous.”
Another essay, this time on literary allusions in book titles. In this critical essay from The Oxford Student, the author breaks down what we may be able to illuminate from an author’s choice to allude to another work when choosing a book title, how we can discern what the allusion is doing, and whether the allusion is used well.
Coming Up
Don’t want to miss a beat of the Novel Pairings chit-chat? We’re always talking all things literature over on our Discord, which is available through our Patreon! Subscribers get access to our backlog of content which includes our recorded seminar on Psychoanalytic Theory. Plus, we have one more book club to discuss the second half of The Odyssey coming up soon. Make sure to sign up so you can join in our discussion online on July 26th at 7 PM EST.
Head on over to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up today!
Final Words
Readers, thanks for getting a little more academic with us today. We have a feeling now that all of us have literary allusions, on the mind we’ll find them popping up everywhere in our reading. If you have thoughts or ideas of other classics you think are great to read for understanding literary allusions, make sure to leave them in the comments below. We’d love to hear what you would add to our list.
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