This course spans 30 centuries of the finest literature ever written and covers almost five dozen timeless works, from the epics and dramas of the ancient Hebrews and Greeks to the prose fiction of the 20th century.

From the Book of Job and Beowulf to Pride and Prejudice and As I Lay Dying, these 84 lectures provide an overview of some of Western literature’s greatest offerings.

Along the way we examine the traditional rationale for studying literature and explore its ability to reveal the most profound beliefs and illusions of a culture.