If you've ever longed to read the great Modernist novels of the early 20th century - perhaps Ulysses, To the Lighthouse, or Absalom, Absalom! - but have shied away or set them down because of their intimidating style, fragmented narrative, or lack of a clear plot, this is the course for you.
In this series of 24 lectures, acclaimed literary scholar and award-winning teacher David Thorburn of MIT has created an accessible gateway to this remarkable literary movement. Professor Thorburn will show you not only how an entire generation of Modernist authors - including Joyce, Faulkner, Conrad, Woolf, and Kafka - turned the tradition of literature on its head, creating new techniques to reflect an increasingly complex post-Victorian world, but how to understand and enjoy them. You'll see that even though their works are indeed some of the most challenging you'll ever encounter, they are also among the most rewarding.
Even if you don't have time to read the full works, you will easily understand the lectures. Professor Thorburn demystifies the world of literary criticism and demonstrates how a thoughtful, careful reader can find exciting and enriching insights in these works. You'll examine these great novels and stories from all angles, through close readings of selected passages and illuminating discussions of structure, form, symbolism, and character.