Heroes and Legends

The Most Influential Characters of Literature

By: Thomas A. Shippey, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Thomas A. Shippey

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Odysseus. Robinson Crusoe. Harry Potter. What do these memorable characters have in common? Why do we turn to certain stories again and again? And what impact have they made on world history? These 24 eye-opening lectures give fresh insight into some of the greatest heroes in world literature, from warriors such as Beowulf and Odysseus to unexpected heroes such as Uncle Tom and Sancho Panza.

Professor Shippey gives you an inside glimpse into the writer's process. Learn how authors "write into the gap" to flesh out-or, in some cases, reimagine altogether-old stories, making them new for new readerships with different values. By examining what makes these heroes such compelling characters, you'll see how they provide a window to better understand ourselves.

From the beginnings of world literature through today's bestsellers, look at what makes characters successful-and how they reflect our changing cultural mores. For instance, after the horrors of global war in the 20th century, the world was waiting for a hero like Frodo Baggins, J.R.R. Tolkien's meek hobbit hero, someone called to duty rather than born strong and fearless.

You'll also examine ways that great heroes have changed the course of history, defining nations and redefining our sense of self and our relationships. From the mythical journey of Aeneas to Jane Austen's country dances, you'll survey a wealth of memorable stories and consider why such heroes were necessary-and how they continue to influence our lives today.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

Lost interest

I normally give a high rating to lectures that I finish. This one starts off great. My interest was lost later on though, likely due to the lecture starting out with a clear evolution of "the hero" and then turning into what seemed to be a random selection of heroes.

Entertaining Look at Western Literary Characters

First, let me say that the professor is a very entertaining speaker, easy to listen to, with a pleasant voice. (He could easily be Gandalf or Dumbledore, I think.) Each segment is about 30 minutes long, so they never drag, and he spends some time recapping story lines and pivotal scenes for those who aren't familiar with the characters. How effectively that works for someone truly ignorant of them I can't say, as I knew all of them, and so will many listeners who have read the Westernized classics. This is basically a survey of Western Lit through it's memorable characters, with the lecturer examining why each one has so captured our imaginations and, in some cases, survived for centuries.

In the course of the lectures he often mentions other books that have taken off from these classics, so the listener has a good chance of finding some new ideas for their To-Be-Read pile. (He doesn't scorn to mention television, movies, or comics, either.) Another plus is that each character is given a separate chapter in the recording, so it's easy to jump around and pick out your favorites for a repeat listen.

I recommend this survey. If you're an avid classic reader you might not learn too much that is new, but you'll probably pick up a few interesting tidbits, and I suspect you'll enjoy revisiting so many fascinating characters, as I did.

One thing I would have liked before I purchased was a listing of the characters that are included, so here it is, in order:
Bilbo Baggins/ Odysseus/ Aeneas/ Guinevere/ The Wife of Bath/ Cressida/ Beowulf/ Thor/
Robin Hood/ Don Quixote/ Robinson Crusoe/ Elizabeth Bennet/ Natty Bumppo and Woodrow Call/ Uncle Tom/ Huckleberry Finn/ Sherlock Holmes/ Dracula/ Mowgli/ Celie (from The Color Purple)/ Winston Smith/ James Bond/ Fairy Tale Heroines/ Lisbeth Salandar/ Harry Potter

(Note - He pronounces Quixote as QUICKS-ut. You'll just have to put up with it if it annoys you.)

Meh

What did you like best about Heroes and Legends? What did you like least?

I only honed in on the characters I knew about.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

Sure; some of them are great. Some are just really boring.

Do you think Heroes and Legends needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Maybe a follow up book of more current characters? Or maybe I should have paid better attention in my lit classes in college.

Best course that I've taken (I've taken a lot)

If you could sum up Heroes and Legends in three words, what would they be?

Entertaining, enjoyable, delightful

What other book might you compare Heroes and Legends to and why?

Nothing quite like this.

Which scene was your favorite?

More like chapter but Don Quixote.

If you could rename Heroes and Legends, what would you call it?

Professor Shippey's Universe

Any additional comments?

I am in awe of this fascinating teacher!

Is this all really that important?

What did you like best about Heroes and Legends? What did you like least?

It was well read and written as well as being informative.

Too many names with all the stories, it all ran together by the end.

What did you like best about this story?

It was all interesting.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, it would be chaos with so many stories, characters and circumstances.

Worth Investigating

This was my first "Great Courses" listen, and it was worth the credit and time. What I did like about it was that, much like a course, you could take it one chapter at a time over a few weeks without feeling like you needed to read on all the time.

It was fun to look at the characters from the perspectives Prof. Shippley proposed. This brings me to the one recommendation I have, and that is to try this course only if you are reasonably well read in most of the classics presented within. Being closer to the grave than the cradle, I have had the time to have read almost all of the works discussed in the course.

Prof. Shippley did indeed sound like a Professor. This was a bit disconcerting at first, as he has slightly nasal drawl and an English accent, but this distraction soon passes and enhances the illusion that you are participating in a lecture at school. This may be good or bad, depending on your perspective.

please remove the clap track

Thanks for the course really enjoyed it, except the clapping. The beginning and end of each chapter has clapping. It ruins the thought process and the mood of each lecture.

Great content, though a little chatty!

This is a really well structured course with engaging, informative lectures. My only “meh” opinion on the series is that the lecturer sometimes gets a little chatty with his listeners (so we end up learning about his personal life / history in addition to the heroes and legends). This is occasionally distracting— but overall, it is a great listening experience.

Please don’t continually mispronounce Quixote

I found this insightful and enjoyed the author’s voice, but I couldn’t stand that he refused to pronounce Quixote correctly. He clearly knew how to say it correctly, introduced the name correctly, but then said that this was how he thought it was pronounced when he was a boy. It was funny a few times, but then he never pronounced it correctly again. I finally stopped listening because he continued to bring the name up again, incorrectly, every single lecture.

Outstanding! Myth, Legend & History Come Alive

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have done so several times! This is the Great Courses lecture I have most enjoyed listening to (and I have listened to quite a few). Professor Shippey's grasp of his subject is excellent: He presents characters when first found in literature, placing them in the framework of that time, then traces their reincarnations as societies and mores change over time. It's wonderful, sometimes surprising, to find a mythic figure, or even one from the middle ages, so alive and well, in 21st century literature! This course cites books and movies new within the past few years. Kudos to Professor Shippey: Not only has he thought long upon his subjects; he continues to consider them as they may appear to us today.

What about Professor Thomas A. Shippey’s performance did you like?

I thoroughly enjoyed Shippey's presentation. I was hesitant, based on the audio sample, to order this course (the sample does NOT do Shippey justice), but I am SO glad I did. Listening was actually quite pleasurable, as Shippey is talking to his audience, rather than merely reading through his material. He is engaging, never boring, to listen to. His fine sense of humor greatly added to my enjoyment of this course.