The Western Literary Canon in Context
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The Western Literary Canon in Context
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Narrated by:
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John M. Bowers
About this listen
What exactly is the Western literary canon? Why does it contain certain works and not others? And what do particular works in the Western canon tell us about the development of literature and civilization? Explore these and other thought-provoking lectures with a thorough investigation of more than 30 key works of the Western canon and the critical roles they played - and continue to play - in the development of Western literature. Over the course of 36 lectures, you'll discover the exciting stories behind these classic works and their often surprising connections with one another.
You'll gain invaluable insights into the stories behind these masterpieces and some of the important elements involved in canon formation, including the influence of editors on the New Testament, the influence of culture on Homer's and Virgil's epics, and the influence of education on J.R.R. Tolkien.
You'll also examine the unique connections between each work and its predecessors, allowing you to participate in a riveting literary discussion and examine how history's greatest writers have "talked" with one another, from the way Virgil's Aeneid echoes the Homeric epics the Iliad and the Odyssey to the way John Milton's Paradise Lost is a catalog of the canonic works that precede it, from Plato's "The Apology of Socrates" to William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
A panoramic look at literature, this course is your opportunity to witness a rich literary dialogue and take an amazing journey through thousands of years of literary beauty, grace, and humanity.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Western Literary Canon in Context
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 09-02-21
Definitely one of the best!
Absolutely loved every single lecture in this course. The lecturer is bursting with knowledge, constantly making fascinating connections and is very VERY easy and interesting to listen to. If you're interested in literature, the circumstances that allowed the great iconic canons of the West and Europe to be created and circulated and generally in the history of literary figures and their works, then this course is definitely for you! Highly recommended! Enjoy!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 07-06-19
Great overview of the historical context
this is a highly listenable overview of how and why some books have come to be considered literary classics, and get taught in schools and universities. There are some interesting choices for inclusion, such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which other academics might not consider sufficiently literary to be included in the official canon. The narrator is very good, although he dies have a few idiosyncratic turns if phrase which become a little irritating after a while, such as continually starting sentences by saying "I myself ...", or referring to England or English when he actually means Britain or British. On the whole however, I enjoyed this, and would recommend it.
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- Guðrún Pétursdóttir
- 20-08-18
Exelant guide through the canon
But read the works he talks about it gives you a deeper inside to them and you understand better what he is talking about . As a student of literature I had read most of them (at least until the 1900). Bowers has nice soothing voice and a wast knowledge although I sometimes I did not agree with him.
There where two things that bothered me though about it minor things, number one the way he pronounces some names in particular Göthe he opts for some reason to pronounce it in English instead of German. The second thing where in hell are Flaubert, Baudilere and last but not least Rousseau his confessions rhyme delightfully with Augustine's. But to each his own now I have at least 6 books I can add to my ever expanding reading list.
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- Anonymous User
- 18-04-23
Excellent overview
This is an excellent overview of the western cannon, even if biased towards the Anglosphere and America in particular.
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