Classics of British Literature
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Classics of British Literature
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Narrated by:
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John Sutherland
About this listen
For more than 1,500 years, the literature of Great Britain has taught, nurtured, thrilled, outraged, and humbled readers both inside and outside its borders.
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Swift, Conrad, Wilde - the roster of powerful British writers is remarkable. More important, Britain's writers have long challenged readers with new ways of understanding an ever-changing world.
This series of 48 fascinating lectures by an award-winning professor provides you with a rare opportunity to step beyond the surface of Britain's grand literary masterpieces and experience the times and conditions they came from and the diverse issues with which their writers grappled.
The unique insights Professor Sutherland shares about how and why these works succeed as both literature and documents of Britain's social and political history can forever alter the way you experience a novel, poem, or play.
More than just a survey, these lectures reveal how Britain's cultural landscape acted upon its literature and how, in turn, literature affected the cultural landscape. Professor Sutherland takes a historical approach to the wealth of works explored in these lectures, grounding them in specific contexts and often connecting them with one another.
All the great writers that come to mind when you think of British literature are here, along with unique looks at their most popular and powerful works. You also enjoy the company of less-familiar voices and contemporary authors who continue to take literature into new territories.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Classics of British Literature
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- R. McDermott
- 30-12-18
Whistle-stop pace that puts everything in order
As an English Literature graduate of some 20 years ago, I enjoyed being reminded of the books I had to read, and promised to reread them now that I've lived a little longer. If you want to understand who the most important writers were, what order they came in and a few key facts about each, then this series is great and a good springboard into more detailed works should you want to.
The professor has a nice voice, easy manner and if you want to spice things up with a drinking game, you can drink every time he says "as it were".
Highly recommended
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sean
- 04-12-17
loved these lectures
these lectures have made me want more English lit,the language which was inflicted on my people can be so sublime,but when it's written by an Irishan,well,it's even better,I want more.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Wendy B.
- 29-04-15
Exceptional
An excellent and thorough , as well as entertaining overarching view of English literature which embraced almost everything written from Beawolf oneards
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Simon King
- 17-07-23
Fascinating and wonderfully delivered
A brilliant and interesting introduction to literature from the British isles. Will listen again and again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Meep
- 06-03-15
Perfectly insightful overview
This series of lectures is wide and expansive, offering the listener insight and inspiration to reflect on classics in context.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-23
Excellent introduction to literature for the novice
The narrator adds to the joy of the knowledge, The professors
gentle jovial voice explains the greats of literary history in an easy to understand warm way.
An excellent lecture to add to your library.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Stacy Danika Alcantara-Garcia
- 03-08-20
Inspiring!
Another amazing listen. I'm inspired to pursue a degree in British literature now. I love the comprehensive survey of British lit and the deep dive into some of the most notable works that have shaped the modern mind.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Arnold Groves
- 23-08-20
Outstanding
This is possibly the finest audiobook I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. And it isn’t even a book! Just brilliant.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-04-21
Bravo
A masterful series of lectures. Stunningly erudite, witty and vast. I would highly recommend this course.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- GC
- 28-07-13
Comprehensive Survey of English Literature
What made the experience of listening to Classics of British Literature the most enjoyable?
John Sutherland is probably already known to you as an author and critic.
Here, he presents a series of 48 short (30 minute) lectures on English Literature from Beowulf, Chaucer and (of course) Shakespeare up to the 20th Century (Samuel Beckett, John Osborne, and Harold Pinter etc.), talking about some of the best poetry and prose ever written - in any language.
Sutherland's informal, conversational style engages the listener, and also makes the lectures ideal for listening to whilst doing other tasks.
If you are interested in English Literature, this is a brilliant introduction.
Tip: The introduction to these lectures mentions course material which isn't supplied with the audiobook download. Whilst this material isn't essential it can be viewed on The Great Courses website.
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21 people found this helpful