Wonderful Introduction to Short Fiction

Short fiction is not something I've ever given a lot of thought to.  I read a good bit more of it last year than I have in a good long time, and have come to appreciate the short story and novella forms. It was with that in mind that I tackled A Day's Read, from The Great Courses, wanting to know more about both the forms and works that are good, even great representatives of them.  In a series of 36 lectures, Professors Weinstein, Allen, and Voth explore 36+ works of literature which can all be read in the course of a day, some in only a few hours.

It's a wide-ranging collection of stories that spans several centuries and a number of different countries.  Well-known authors such as Kafka, Hemingway, Balzac, and Joyce are represented along with authors who are lesser known but no less deft in creating small gems.  In the course of the 18+ hours, I compiled a huge list of things that I very much want to read, and authors I want to get to know, such as Borges, Calvino, Lagerkvist, Satrapi, Hersey... most of the authors represented here, in fact.

The lecturers break the works down by theme, which is an excellent way of approaching such a broad selection, but in the end, it's the stories themselves, the allure of the whole, that tempts me. But you can't organize everyone's subjective responses to this information, and so theme -- Who are we?  How do we love? -- is a good starting point.

I'm a great believer in understanding what we read.  I don't just mean comprehending the words on the page, but understanding their context in the world, and in our own lives. Approaching literature in easy bites, learning what ideas and concerns drove the writers represented here, makes it easier to approach their longer works with a greater level of comprehension. This course can go a long way to easing the reader into a greater understanding of not only the works presented but literature in general.

50 people found this helpful

Keep a Pen Close By to Make Up Your Reading List

This is a fascinating survey, shared among professors, of works to read in a long or short afternoon. I especially love Arnold Weinstein whose Great Courses surveys--and a book--i have enjoyed before. Though I have a graduate degree in literature, I was delighted by the breadth and diversity of work covered. Listen to this and make up a beach reading list or one for evenings in front of the fire!

23 people found this helpful

Stories not included, only discussed

The analysis is certainly very interesting and good but the short stories themselves are not actually read during the lectures. To properly enjoy this you need to start a lecture until you hear what work they are discussing, then stop listening before they spoil the whole story. Then, go look up that work and read/listen to it before returning to the lecture. Very tedious. This would be a much better course if it were interleaved with readings of the actual stories.

229 people found this helpful

A great team of lecturers

I've known for a while that Arnold Weinstein is fantastic lecturer. But I am glad to have been introduced to the other two professors through this team-taught course. I can't wait to look for other courses by Allen and Voth.

13 people found this helpful

Awesome lectures!

Any additional comments?
This is one of my favorite literature sets from Great Courses. I loves the mix of speakers, opinions, selections . . . really wonderful teachers, all of them!

19 people found this helpful

"White Sagasso Sea" outshines all!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a perfect opportunity to widen your literary horizon. If you dare tread on unfamiliar area and are not afraid of fresh thought, this lecture is the one for you.

What did you like best about this story?

The introduction of "White Sagasso Sea" is the crown jewel.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Antoinette Cosway, aka Bertha Mason in "Jane Eyre" is my favorite.

Any additional comments?

It takes about half an hour to listen to one chapter, another day or two to read the themed novel. But it would take at least one week to fully absorb the emotion yelled to you by the character through plain yet magic words. Thank you, professor Emily Allen.

18 people found this helpful

Tone

Good stuff to go to sleep to . Maybe the lecturers could try to make it a tadbit more exiting or at the very least , interesting.
Do not and cannot remember anything from this course and I just finished it.

6 people found this helpful

Like a middle school book report...painfully wordy

I love audible. still I get about 1 in 4 books that dont work for me. I could only listen to the first 2 chapters ( book reports) in this 'Great courses" series, before I simply could not go on. SO IN FAIRNESS.. perhaps the other 2 narrators were better. or more insightful. That said , I could not go on. it was torture listening to the 2 I did. Supposedly 'brilliant' books came off as juvenile or self indulgent. somewhere between a simple retelling of an absurd dream, and a titillating would be romance.
A book that was a 20 minute read in actuality, was laboriously pondered over for what felt like an hour. Making much of little was the effect. I had hoped for meaningful, or lovely quotes...not a poor retelling. Additionally both books treated the misuse or ill treatment of the female characters as seemingly insignificant and quite 'normal', which for the past was common... but the analysis of the Prof. had no hint of compassion, no more modern understanding of that added horror. It felt like a stiff lecture was from 1970. It left me with no desire to actually read those books.

1 person found this helpful

Subject

This is not what I expected and I can not bring myself to finish listening.

7 people found this helpful

waste of time

I'd almost think the experts searched for society destroying stories to push

I quit listening and returned this junk

4 people found this helpful