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

Seriously PERFECT

Where does Heroes and Legends rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top! Such an interesting mix of characters and Professor Shippey is a wonderful professor. You couldn't ask for me in a lecture series.

Have you listened to any of Professor Thomas A. Shippey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Stunning

Who was the most memorable character of Heroes and Legends and why?

Loved all of them but Frodo and Elizabeth Bennet are some of my favorites

When He Is Good He is Very, Very Good…

And when he is bad Professor Shippey is cringingly politically correct. The standout lectures deal with Frodo Baggins, Odysseus, Aeneas, Beowulf, Thor, Robin Hood, Don Quixote, Natty Bumpo, Uncle Tom—the professor brilliantly puts that story in its proper Christian context—Sherlock Holmes (spectacular), Dracula, Mowgli—a lecture made even better by the professor’s childhood reminiscences—Winston Smith and James Bond.

We get insights such as this: there were only two truly heroic ages in Western history—“heroic” being understood as a time of no codified laws, when might really was right and a hero was someone who used his might in the service of good. And there are those little facts that answer questions you’ve always had at the back of your mind: “yeoman” originally meant “young man”—the young men who were handy with bows, arrows and swords and essential to any local lord who wanted to be taken seriously.

But more importantly, we get answers to the essential question that is at the heart of all these talks: why certain characters have had such a long and/or widespread appeal to readers and moviegoers.

The lecture on James Bond is priceless because it is given by someone who actually experienced the advent of James Bond on the bookstalls of England—a post-war England still living on ration cards and longing for elegance and adventure.

Professor Shippey can also give the same perspective on Frodo Baggins, explaining his particular appeal within the context of Tolkien’s World War I front line experience, England’s post-World War II mood, and the need for a new kind of hero.

But the best of the lot is the talk on Winston Smith. Professor Shippey understands that Stalinism was a bad thing and our propensity for that particular way of doing things is an ever-present danger. In itself that is refreshing, but there’s so much more. Just listen.

So, out of 24 lectures 15 are great. The rest are predictable.

The Wife of Bath is seen through they eyes of 21st Century Feminism, not late 14th Century Catholicism—which were the eyes through which Geoffrey Chaucer saw her.

Robinson Crusoe devolves into a critique of colonialism (whether that’s true or not I can’t say; it’s one of those Classics I’ve never read).

Huckleberry Finn is presented as “the free spirit of America”. While correct as far as it goes, that spirit never critiqued. Yes, Huck comes to understand that slavery is wrong and Jim is just as much—if not more—of a man as he is. And yes, Huck is a hero for thinking beyond the collective mental horizon of his time and place. But that doesn’t mean—as the professor seems to imply—that doing so is always and inevitably a good thing.

I skipped the lecture on “New-Style Princesses” because, given Shippey’s take on Elizabeth Bennett and the Wife of Bath, I pretty much knew what to expect. Close-minded? I don’t know. Having a teenage daughter who has to deal with girls raised on those "empowered” princesses has opened my mind to their darker side.

And finally, the breezy way in which the professor talks of the Harry Potter saga as a more tolerant narrative for a more tolerant post-Christian world would have taken my breath away—if it weren’t so predictable. Over the years I’ve noticed we (you, me, those guys over there) have a tendency to find in art the guidance we should be seeking through faith. That’s completely understandable, living as we do in an age where art and philosophy have consciously divorced themselves from the religious spark that gave them life in the first place. But that doesn’t mean it’s right or wise, or that the popularity of a series of books and movies makes it right or wise.

The professor himself is an engaging presenter of his ideas with a soft Scottish accent that’s a pleasure to listen to. The only other flaw is in the production. We could do without the roll of timpani, the swell of strings and the recorded applause that begins every lecture, as well as the same applause that ends them. It made me cringe every time.

charming and easy to absorb

The whole sequence helped me realize that a hero is in fact a product of his/her time and its desires. The speaker is engaging, and his points are succinct and clear.

Very interesting course.

Very interesting course. Professor Shippey is a great speaker and I would love to have had him when I was in college.

Interesting Subject Matter, sometimes irritating

Shippey is clearly well read and intimate with the subject matter. He delivers a ton of interesting information and stories. But, his mispronunciations (and yes, it's nat a "British v. American English" issue), at first amusing later become insanely irritating. He so mangled the name "Celie" from "The Color Purple" that it took us some time to realize who he was talking about. If you can get past him not correctly pronouncing names and other common words, you'll enjoy.

Loved every minute of it!

A great course, it was just a delight to listen to!

The professor is knowledgeable, he's charming and funny, and he makes the hours fly by!

A lot of my favorite characters were covered, some from angles I'd never considered. One character was new to me (Natty Bumppo) but it was still great to get an unfamiliar character so expertly (as far as I could tell) covered.

I really didn't want this course to end and felt a bit sad when it did. If you have an interest in literature or any of these characters, I'd highly recommend this course.

Delightful

I really enjoyed this course.


It covered ancient AND contemporary heroes, with some surprises. Because of this course there is more I will read.

Excellent

I really enjoyed this lecture series. Having read most of these great stories, the analysis and exploration of their heroes and themes is essential to grasp what exactly makes them such impactful, compelling stories.

mostly just synopsis

Since I had read or was familiar with most of the source material I found Shippey's synopsis which comprise the bulk of the information to be kind of plodding, and unremarkable. His few references to feminism don't quite make up for the fact that this series is 12 lectures in before the discussion of a female character written by a female.

A great strole through story telling history!

I really enjoyed the insight in this book on what makes stories engaging and why. It explores what makes a character heroic and how the state of the time they were written in is reflected. At the end I feel inspired both by the past and the future