Online courses which walk through works of literature?

May 5, 2011 9:33 AM

Where can you get online -- preferably free -- video lectures of professors/experts explicating, in detail, major literary works? For example, is there an online course where an excellent professor walks through The Divine Comedy or Finnegan's Wake?
posted by shivohum to Education (6 answers total)

iTunes U has free podcasts of Yale lectures on The Divine Comedy. Didn't see Finnegan's Wake, but there are lectures from Yale and other universities on several other works.
posted by chrisulonic at 9:56 AM on May 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

The Great Courses has several downloadable lecture series that would be just what you're looking for. Don't be put off by the cost -- every course goes on sale at least once a year (often for up to 70% off). Just keep checking back with them. (Though I believe they're well worth it even at full price. I've got many of this company's courses and they are, without exception, truly excellent.)
posted by rhartong at 10:50 AM on May 5, 2011

You might find something if you google "The Teaching Company". I think their courses are not free but still, you might find some materials online.
posted by leigh1 at 10:52 AM on May 5, 2011

2nding the Yale lecture series, which has recently added a course on Don Quixote. Both video and audio options are available.
posted by acidic at 10:58 AM on May 5, 2011

Open Yale:

The American Novel Since 1945 (I believe this series is used for the MeFi Book Club)

Also, not quite what you were looking for, but possibly of interest:

Introduction to Theory of Literature



This Open Culture list includes links to the Aeneid on iTunes, American Lit I at NYU, and Milton at Yale, among others.

A search at the OCW Consortium for "literature" brings up dozens of hits.
posted by kristi at 4:53 PM on May 10, 2011

Oh, and check your library for the Teaching Company courses. Lots of libraries have several of those courses.
posted by kristi at 4:53 PM on May 10, 2011