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Masterpieces of Short Fiction
- Narrated by: Michael Krasny
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
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Publisher's summary
More than simply a shorter version of the novel, the short story is a unique and rewarding literary form in itself. It offers a world in miniature faithfully captured by the author's mastery of character, plot, setting, image, and theme. The time it takes to read a short story may be brief, but its impact lasts much longer.
Short story writers see by the light of the flash," says author and Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer. "Theirs is the art of the only thing that one can be sure of - the present moment."
These 24 lectures guide you deep into 23 renowned works written by some of the acknowledged masters of the genre, illuminating the remarkable variety, breathtaking artistry, and profound themes to be found in such miniature masterpieces as Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," Isaac Babel's "My First Goose," Ernest Hemingway's "The Killers," Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," and more.
Using examples from the stories themselves, Professor Krasny illuminates each author's virtuosic development of character, plot, setting, imagery, theme, and language. As you progress through the course, you hone your ability to recognize and assess these elements.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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Oakland-bred LaVeesha “Vee” Gilliam (Coco Jones) is a determined single mother of an autistic son and a gifted aspiring coder. When Vee loses her job as a food-services worker at the onsite restaurant at Grapengine, a large Silicon Valley tech company, she’s unable to pay for her son’s much-needed specialized education. By a twist of fate, mistaken identity, and her tech skills, Vee meets Troy Wilson (Keith Powers), the company’s wealthy founder and CEO and a wunderkind in the tech industry, who believes that Vee is a college-educated techie who works at his company.
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Overdue Diverse Representation in Tech!
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By: Michael Elliot
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Dracula [Audible Edition]
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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The modern audience hasn't had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker's original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we've tried something different. By returning to Stoker's original storytelling structure - a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters - with an all-star cast of narrators, we've sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.
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IS THAT NOT SO?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-05-15
By: Bram Stoker
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
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ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-28-16
By: Mary Shelley
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Fahrenheit 451
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: Tim Robbins
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."
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Wish I Hadn't Cliff Noted This in High School
- By Joel on 03-27-17
By: Ray Bradbury
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The Cut
- By: Richard Armitage
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Jacob Dudman
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
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Welcome to Barton Mallet, a remote village in the Midlands that has been chosen as the unlikely location for a new feature film from Hollywood producer Max Crow. Teenagers from the local drama group are encouraged to audition for a story about the trials and tribulations of growing up. Benjamin Knot, the CEO of a well-known architecture firm, discovers that his children, Lily and Nathan, have each been offered a role. But Barton Mallet has a deep wound that has never truly healed.
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Hard to get into
- By felicialeash on 09-15-24
By: Richard Armitage
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Great for beginners, nothing you for an economist
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Pretty good, but very old
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What listeners say about Masterpieces of Short Fiction
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jim
- 04-27-23
Worthwhile overview
I found this to be an enjoyable course. It focuses on masters but still introduced me to some new pieces or authors. I breezed through the course and read some of the originals/bought a few short story collections after a given author was discussed. my only (slight) criticism is similar to others voiced in that I wish he went into a little bit more depth about why a given author's prose or narrative makes a piece great. Very worth a listen regardless though.
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Overall
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Performance
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- K. A. Svolto
- 08-17-22
insightful
An insightful and entertaining instructor. I wish it didn't end and that he could cover so many more authors and stories. excellent.
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- Willie Wilson
- 12-18-13
A Few New Ideas for Short Fiction
What did you love best about Masterpieces of Short Fiction?
I enjoyed getting another point of view for stories I often teach.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Professor Michael Krasny?
Depends on the topic.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- SandyK
- 12-19-21
Ultimately Disappointing
The teacher does some things well - he’s picked some important stories; he brings to bear important data around the works and their authors; and he presents the material in well structured lectures.
But what I was hungry for, I felt he was very deficient. The great literature courses from TGC feature professors who are superb at literary analysis. They break down the literature itself to get at deeper layers of meaning. This professor is only so-so in this respect. He teaches what he believes is to be learned or what is conventional to be learned. But either he can’t or he simply doesn’t do more.
So, the rating is average. And I would discourage those wanting more from taking this course.
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8 people found this helpful