Heroes and Legends

The Most Influential Characters of Literature

By: Thomas A. Shippey, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Thomas A. Shippey

Odysseus. Robinson Crusoe. Harry Potter. What do these memorable characters have in common? Why do we turn to certain stories again and again? And what impact have they made on world history? These 24 eye-opening lectures give fresh insight into some of the greatest heroes in world literature, from warriors such as Beowulf and Odysseus to unexpected heroes such as Uncle Tom and Sancho Panza.

Professor Shippey gives you an inside glimpse into the writer's process. Learn how authors "write into the gap" to flesh out-or, in some cases, reimagine altogether-old stories, making them new for new readerships with different values. By examining what makes these heroes such compelling characters, you'll see how they provide a window to better understand ourselves.

From the beginnings of world literature through today's bestsellers, look at what makes characters successful-and how they reflect our changing cultural mores. For instance, after the horrors of global war in the 20th century, the world was waiting for a hero like Frodo Baggins, J.R.R. Tolkien's meek hobbit hero, someone called to duty rather than born strong and fearless.

You'll also examine ways that great heroes have changed the course of history, defining nations and redefining our sense of self and our relationships. From the mythical journey of Aeneas to Jane Austen's country dances, you'll survey a wealth of memorable stories and consider why such heroes were necessary-and how they continue to influence our lives today.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

The best!

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

Yes! The lectures are extremely informative and doesn't puresuppose very much background information at all, and the lecturer is an absolute delight.

Who was your favorite character and why?

They were all extremely fascinating to hear about, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the lecturer himself =)

Any additional comments?

I wish there were another course with Shippey!

Interesting, but.......

I like this idea and this kind of lecture, but this had some elements I didn't appreciate. Such as the lectures on the Wife Of Bath, Dracula, and even some bits of the Fairy-Tale Heroine lecture. Didn't like how much talked about sexuality and things related to that. In some cases it was already there, but in others he brought it up, it seems to me, unnecessarily.

Looking to get into storytelling? Start here!

This course gives you the starting area for storytelling. The lecturer, Thomas A. Shippey, does a great job of tackling each of the 24 characters in the course, first by going through a quick summary of the story they inhabit and the history and interesting facts surrounding them, regarding the social, political, and historic events taking place. With this in mind, he goes through a detailed explanation of how such stories, more specifically their characters, have influenced the generally accepted values of society and the importance of such literature in their own time and ours now. If nothing else, it is a huge tribute to the importance of literature in society and a big tip of the hat to all the authors who’s ideas and stories have shaped our societies across the world.

Very well done. Professor Shippey is great!

I like the variety of heroes that were presented. Even characters I didn't think would be interesting were presented in a fascinating way. I hope the Professor Shippey does more Great Courses lectures.

Great Intro to Lit's Most Colorful Characters

What does Professor Thomas A. Shippey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
His enthusiasm for the subject is contagious. I would glady listen to any other lectures he has done.

Any additional comments?
Each of these lectures offers important insights into the world's great works of literature and why their heroes have lived on in our hearts and imaginations. How could I not love this series when it started out with a most unlikely hero, Frodo Baggins? Shippey explains why the world needed such a hero at that time in history.

Some of the lectures share additional, unknown information about famous characters (such as Robin Hood). Others walk the listener through the character's most famous story (Odysseus). I enjoyed the variety, Shippey's expertise and his dry wit. Although the final lectures include people that I would not have selected as heroes (Celie from The Color Purple and Winston Smith from 1984, for example), Shippey argues convincingly for their importance.

This was a refresher course on books I'd already read, and whetted my appetite for some of the others, except for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which sounds horrific. I have my doubts about that choice, but figure it was added to appeal to 21st century readers.

5 stars for a subject I had no prior interest in

I was branching out on a new subject matter with this one and fund it quite enjoyable. Maybe not a solid 5 stars but worth the bump to get more people interested. The book is broken into chapter / lectures that build on each other. Starting with Frodo Baggins & ending with Harry Potter, the stories and analogies range widely, by including Odysseus, Robin Hood, Uncle Tom, Dracula, and James Bond.

Professor Shippey is obviously a professional is arranging his lectures. His speak is understandable and actually enjoyable. Sounds like Gandalf from Hobbit/Lord of the Rings.

Anyway, I recommend it to anyone interested in writing, literature, or who wants to broaden their horizons.

I wanted to like it, but...

This course should have been called "The Most Influential Characters in Western History" because I don't see any of the influential characters in Middle Eastern, Asian or African civilisations. And there's plenty to choose from. All characters and stories discussed take place in America, Europe or a fantasy equivalent of them.

Such a lost opportunity to really explore the world.

Excellent- don't give up on it

Since I live in Texas and so am used to Spanish pronunciation, I almost quit this course over Professor Shippey's insistence on the mispronunciation of Don Quixote. In the end, I'm so glad I didn't. I think this is the most strikingly diverse lecture on a literary subject that I have ever completed. It was very worth the irritant and I even forgive you, Prof. Well done.

A grand tour of the house of legends

Shippey takes us on a tour through myth, stories, and heroism, using reception studies methodology to explore one simple question: Why are certain heroes so successful? If you're interested in Bilbo and the Wife of Barth, Guinevere and Natty Bumppo, Huck Finn and Sherlock Holmes, then this lecture series will help you see them anew, and it may also bring out the hero in you.

An Interesting Survey

This is a survey course, I would have preferred a more in depth looks at almost any of these characters then one half hour chapter.

For what it is, it's very good and has some information that was useful, I still don't want to read Robinson Caruso and but I will try James Fennimore Cooper's Hawkeye stories.