267. The Enduring Relevance of Edna Ferber's Giant

Grab your 10-gallon hat for this week’s episode as Amy dives deep into Edna Ferber's Giant, a novel that strongly critiqued racial inequity and exposed the unjust treatment of Mexican Americans and immigrants — a conversation that continues in America to this day. The blockbuster 1956 film adaptation of the novel, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean, cemented Ferber’s legacy as a great American novelist, though her work is not as frequently read today as it ought to be. Using Giant Love, Julie Gilbert's comprehensive book on the novel and film, as her guide, Amy weighs in on the book’s enduring relevance and surprisingly bold commentary for its time. This bonus episode is available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Giant by Edna Ferber

So Big by Edna Ferber

Giant Love: Edna Ferber, Her Bestselling Novel and the Making of a Classic American Film by Julie Gilbert

Giant the film

Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 45 on Edna Ferber’s So Big

The Hunting Wives on Netflix