The Western Literary Canon in Context

By: John M. Bowers, The Great Courses

Narrated by: John M. Bowers

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 Courses

Nice set of lectures

This course is well-named. It presents the works in context, especially in context with each other. I enjoyed it, especially the segments on Jane Austen and Tolkien. The professor is clear, engaging and focused.

Good, but not great.

Too many anecdotes and not enough analysis. For the narrator, a book is often canonical because of luck, rather than the quality of the book itself.

This is what I was looking for

I grew up in the states reading from Norton anthologies, Great Political Theories, and the like.
I live in Asia now, and so, will be solely responsible for the western part of my children’s education.
I needed a good overview of the whole picture so I could think about how to tackle what is a monumental task.
This has really helped me conceptualize the approach.

Also, he doesn’t exclude authors who are female (unfortunately, I wasn’t—in my formal education—encouraged to read any work written by a women until I was in university...and even then, it was only Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Aphra Behn’s The Rover, and some poems of Emily Dickinson. ...and I was a theatre major, so I assume that may even be more than what was usual at the time (ten years ago).

This audio lecture also comes with a helpful outline that makes referring back to information much more convenient.

Oh, and the presentation is both informative and entertaining. I ended up listening to the entire thing over the weekend while remodeling my house.

Comprehensive and honest

Thoughtful and thorough review of a giant subject! Could also be helpful in finding lesser-known literary treasures, or deciding which Great Works you’re gonna skip.
Alert: if you are a cancel-culture advocate better skip this. Prof Bower mentions how many DWEMS (dead white European males) are in the Canon, discusses homophobia and sexual prudery among readers and writers, as well as their opposites. If you can’t bear this unless it is accompanied by diatribes about the Injustice of it All, you’d best save yourself the credit.

Outstanding!

This remarkable course might be the best of the Great Courses I ever listened to, in how the professor brings up historical facts and authors of different times and places to the authors or books he is analyzing.

I loved this course from beginning to end

I’m still pretty novice in my understanding of the great works of literature but I’m always anxious to learn more and understand why certain books are regarded so highly.

These courses were so fascinating and enjoyable to listen to. Hearing about the place that each work was created in and how it has remained or been added to the “Survivors List” was endlessly interesting and entertaining. I can’t recommend this enough for folks of all experience levels.

Excellent review with valuable insight

Excellent sweep through the literary canon. Knowledgeable and insightful professor with a thorough grasp on subject. Very educational with enjoyable and enlightening tidbits of history and context—sad to see it end, and off to search for more courses by this professor.

A Somewhat Secularist View

Gives a somewhat secularist view than often apologizes for western culture to some degree - its masculine, orientalist view, etc. Laments to some degree a great deal of the facets that make western civ - white, landowning men. Points out limiting roles of women then gives Japan as an example where women writing flourishes (the irony here is self evident). Also indicates as though a fact that the flood story was taken by the Jews during their exile in Babylon. Educators often give too much credence to similarities- they often think Christ is just the rebirth of dianysus, for example. It is a limitation in thinking that something must always have an origin or start in one place, not knowing man is man and paints from the same palette which doesn’t always mean the outcome was borrowed or something is always taken directly from something.