How to Tackle Intimidating Books, with Emily Wilson

2026-06-09

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It's a dilemma every reader has faced: what do you do when you really want to read a big, intimidating book, but you don't know how to get started? Jeff and Rebecca sit down with Emily Wilson—classics professor, MacArthur Fellow, and the first woman to publish a full English translation of The Odyssey—for a conversation about how to conquer bookish imposter syndrome, what to look for when you're choosing between multiple editions of translations of a classic work, and why it's worth it to work through cha...

It's a dilemma every reader has faced: what do you do when you really want to read a big, intimidating book, but you don't know how to get started? Jeff and Rebecca sit down with Emily Wilson—classics professor, MacArthur Fellow, and the first woman to publish a full English translation of The Odyssey—for a conversation about how to conquer bookish imposter syndrome, what to look for when you're choosing between multiple editions of translations of a classic work, and why it's worth it to work through challenging reads. Come for the pro tips, stay for Dr. Wilson reading in Greek.

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