Teaching Company courses---again! Questions . . .

[Michelle in MO]

The most beautiful Teaching Company catalog arrived in the mail today. :) The featured course is "Classics of British Literature", taught by John Sutherland, who is the Professor Emiritus of Modern English Literature at University College London and a visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology.

Has anyone heard this particular series or this professor? Normally I jump right at these, but I was disappointed with "Classics of American Literature" with Weinstein. I just want to make sure.

You know, when I saw the painting on the front of the catalog---a girl with her hair tied back, walking along the English countryside, reading a book, I just want to be there, you know? What I wouldn't give to have one day, just one day where I could stroll along the English countryside, or lie down on one of those perfectly manicured English lawns, reading a book, drinking tea, and then periodically going inside to the parlor to visit with friends and "take a turn" about the room.

Anyone with me? :D

[Janice in NJ]

He spends more time placing the book/play/poem/author/poet in historical context. He covers a bit of plot summary and then discusses some themes and why the text is important in the canon. He spends more time on the lives of the authors, the literary movements, and the surrounding historical events than he does interpreting the works.

I enjoy his lectures, but I'm enjoying all of the lit lectures that I have.... and I have acquired quite a few. :001_smile:

I really like Weinstein, but he seems to be in a class by himself. (I like him because he IS different.) I enjoy him in the summer when I'm not teaching. (Gives me more time to soak/think about what he's trying to say OR yell at the screen. :001_smile:)

Anyway - hoping someone else chimes in who doesn't like Sutherland and can tell you why. :001_smile:

Peace,
Janice

Enjoy your little people
Enjoy your journey

[outtamyshell]

Take a turn about the room? It's so refreshing!

[Michelle in MO]

Yes, I love that phrase from Jane Austen's novels!

Janice, thanks for the response! I think I'm going to have to get this series, based upon your recommendation and----I have to admit---the series does look pretty good, and I really want to be that girl reading in the English countryside, at least for a day!

[LynnG in Hawaii]

We're working our way through the British Lit series this year, in conjunction with my dd-17's reading of maybe 9 British novels.

We've been quite pleased with the series so far. It's extremely comprehensive. In fact, we won't be covering all his lectures due to time constraints.

The professor is an older gentleman who obviously is a master of his subject. Frankly, he calls to mind what Tolkein might have been like as a professor. (JMO) He has obviously studied old English, in fact, and does several readings in Old English in the first few lectures. Fascinating stuff . . . doesn't sound like any English you would remotely recognize!

In summary, both my dd-17 and I give this lecture a thumbs-up, at least based on the third or so of the lectures that we've actually watched.

HTH.

[Michelle in MO]

Thank you for this great recommendation, Lynn. I'm definitely going to order the series!

[LynnG in Hawaii]

Thank you for this great recommendation, Lynn. I'm definitely going to order the series!

Michelle, I think you'll be pleased. I just realized that my recommendation wasn't as thorough as it should have been, but I guess you got the general "thumbs ups" I meant to give. ;)

I should have also specified that the professor is an intelligent, articulate, engaging speaker. His mastery of the topic is obvious, in both breadth and depth. He fits quite a bit of information into his lectures, which are the perfect accompaniment to my own discussions with dd.