“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 Show less