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The Skeptic's Guide to the Great Books
- Narrated by: Grant L. Voth
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
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Publisher's summary
Daunted by the "great big books" of the Western canon? Looking for the same pleasures, satisfactions, and insights from books that are shorter, more accessible, and less dependent on classical references and difficult language than tomes such as Moby-Dick and Ulysses?
The truth is that there are so many works that are just as engaging, just as enjoyable, and - most important - just as insightful about great human themes and ideas as anything you'd encounter on a college-level reading list. These 12 highly rewarding lectures offer you an introduction to 12 works that redefine what great literature is and how it can reveal startling truths about life-all without being such a chore to read. Here you'll discover alternatives to the traditional "great books" - Dead Souls as an alternative to War and Peace, and The Master and Margarita as an alternative to Faust. You'll also encounter books from genres that traditionally fall outside the purview of the Western canon. For example, you'll learn how John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold transforms the spy novel into serious literature, and how Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons injects the comic-book format with a startling level of realism.
Professor Voth excels at both unpacking the significance of a literary work and instilling excitement for it, be it a novella, a collection of short stories, or a play. If you're new to these works, he will have you running to your nearest bookstore or library to discover what you've been missing. And if you've already encountered some of these books, you'll be eager to revisit them and explore what you may have missed on your first reading.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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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?
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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
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Fahrenheit 451
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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
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Slayers: A Buffyverse Story
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Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them. A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys.
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A dream come true
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Holiday Hideaway
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Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
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I ain’t afraid of no ghosts
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The Cut
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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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What listeners say about The Skeptic's Guide to the Great Books
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Evelyn Archer
- 05-05-24
Can't Recommend
The good: Narrator is entertaining and I wanted to read the books that were suggested by him.
The bad: What the reader is supposed to be skeptical over isn't clear. Issue appeared to be over what more readable/accessible books could replace their more classical counterparts. Some The book recommendations included WERE classics (e.g., Gogol's Dead Souls); some replacements didn't seem sufficient, and there were factual errors (e.g., the Watchmen/Charlton character equivalenta. Can't recommend.
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- Lawrence T. Pickard
- 12-23-23
Any Book is Great
This course is amazing in its ability to succinctly describe, compare and laud those works that can lead us to the same heights as the weighty tomes that are “required.” I specifically enjoyed hearing his take and analysis of two books I have read and enjoyed (Life of Pi and the graphic novel Watchmen). This course also has introduced me to three books, which I now look forward to reading.
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- JohnS
- 09-23-18
A very good course
The presentation of an alternate set of books to the canon is a worthwhile task. I enjoyed listening to the choices that Professor Voth presented. Some of the works presented were unfamiliar to me; I had heard of them, but had not read them, which triggered my curiosity and will try to read. For example, I have been meaning to read Joan Didion and this course provided the impetus for me to do so. The same with Gogol, and graphic novels. I will also revisit P. D. James and Le Carré.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Gerry Seymour
- 11-16-15
Like "this not that" for serious readers
Want to be a serious reader, but don't have the time or energy to deal with all of the classics? This course gives a passionate and entertaining overview of alternatives to some of the hard-to-digest classics, and some great advice on getting more out of any reading.
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16 people found this helpful
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- libbromus
- 06-18-17
Thoroughly enjoyable!
Professor Voth really loves literature of all descriptions. He's no snob for the classics. I have added several of the books mentioned (I should say analyzed in depth) here to my reading list; books I would never have normally sought out. For the books he included that I've already read, his critical insights have deepened my understanding of the works. I'm so grateful to have listened to this course!
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8 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-25-19
His lecture is enlightening
I listened to two courses by this professor, both of which I repeated twice. A great guide to the books you always want to read or will never have a chance to read. You will get the book essence in his lectures.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Uriel Dana
- 06-20-23
Inspiring and Enlightening
Excellent book for writers wanting to learn from the masters. Non writers,that love reading, will find the information inspiring and enlightening. I’ve listened twice.
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- PlatoFromTexas
- 05-23-24
Not enamored by some of the titles reviewed
Not liking the selections reviewed by the author in this audio and considered as great books.
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