The Modern Scholar

Rings, Swords, and Monsters: Exploring Fantasy Literature

By: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

Narrated by: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The overwhelming success of the Lord of the Rings films and the Harry Potter series aptly demonstrates that the fantasy genre is alive and well in the new millennium. The names of authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Terry Brooks evoke ripe tales of heroism and the clash of good versus evil in magical, faraway lands. The rich collection of King Arthur tales have also captured the imagination of millions and resonates with audiences to the present day.

Should fantasy be considered serious literature, or is it merely escapism? In this course, the roots of fantasy and the works that have defined the genre are examined. Incisive analysis and a deft assessment of what makes these works so very special provides a deeper insight into beloved works and a better understanding of why fantasy is such a pervasive force in modern culture.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2006 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2006 Recorded Books

Awesome

The professor's enthusiasm for the subject material is infectious. Outstanding delivery and indepth analysis of major works in top shelf fantasy literature.

Truly fascinating lecture (but some spoilers)

The lecture format works particularly well for the ideas he's sharing, preserving a kind of conversational tone with a very conversational lecturer. He presents some fascinating background to modern fantasy and its links to oral tradition and the Victorian age; I had heard these ideas, but never heard them fleshed out quite as well as he does.

One the strengths of this lecture is that he is a fan of fantasy literature, and he can talk about a series being heavily derivative of Tolkein and still say that he's read the series four times and enjoys it still. He also recognizes the magnitude and importance of Tolkein, appreciates his own enjoyment in Tolkein's work, but also reminds us that Tolkein didn't invent the genre, and there are others who have done some things better. Drout balances respect, recognition, criticism, and enjoyment really well.

Listeners should be aware of some spoilers, as Prof. Drout goes through the plots of The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and the Silmarilion in some detail; all books in Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series; Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara series; Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series; Robert Holdstock's Mythago Woods series; Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series; CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia; and TS White's the Once and Future King. He also goes through some Victorian tales in some detail, but these are things that most readers will be familiar with, like Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland/Through the Lookinglass, or they're things that are pretty obscure, like the Princess and the Goblin or Waterbabies.

That being said, his goal is not to remove our enjoyment as readers approaching a story for the first time. He doesn't tell the stories so that, if you read them yourself there will be no suspense, he just talks about how some of the themes that he's talking about, death and language and morality etc, are presented in these books. He really makes the point that fantasy works need to be considered as a whole when he talks about Harry Potter. The series had not been concluded when he gave this lecture, and so he says that it's not fair to consider the series until we know how it ends.

Erudition combined with a superb presentation and reading by the author

The professor who gives the lectures is a superb presenter and his material manages to be extremely interesting as well as scholarly. Highly recommended.

it was a collection of college lechers

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

this book has some interesting points. so yes I would recommend it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

if you to lazy to teach a class on this subject have your students watch this move.

Fun and Thought-Provoking

I enjoyed this brief exploration of the fantasy genre. Michael DC Drout is knowledgeable, and just as important, enthusiastic about his subject material.Before listening, I worried that the lectures would be too dry for my tastes, so I was gratified to discover that they did a good job of holding my interest.

This course is a great overview of fantasy and its 19th & 20th century "origins," but could have--and perhaps SHOULD have--been longer. Because of the course's brevity, the discussion is largely limited to a handful of authors, although those authors are discussed in some detail, particularly Tolkien.

I loved this book

The contents were interesting and the passion of the lecturer for his material is infectious. I definitely want to listen to his other stuff. What's also great is that you can go and score yourself on the contents of the lecture on The Modern Scholar's website.

Excelente curso

Me encantó este curso. Muy buen expositor el profesor Drout. Lo recomiendo mucho a los amantes de la literatura fantástica.

Excellent overview of Fantasy literature

This lecture series from The Modern Scholar is an excellent introduction to the world of Fantasy literature. Professor Drout begins with an overview of what fantasy literature is and it’s origins in the middle ages and in the world of children’s literature in the 19th century. He then spends several lectures on J. R. R. Tolkien. He examines the four classic Tolkien works as well as some of the lesser known and lesser read works. He then runs through a number of other authors including CS Lewis, Ursula LeGuin, and many others. Professor Drout is well versed in the material and is quite passionate about it.

I highly recommend this to people who would like a good, general overview of fantasy literature.

Finally! Scholars are taking note

Once upon a time, I was a young writer in a college Creative Writing class. After submitting one of my short stories, the professor informed me (and the entire class) that GENRE fiction was a useless waste of time, and we, as writers, should pursure more nobel pursuits like true literature. I have spent years recovering from that slight on my writing and have found myself struggling to write anything since.

Dr. Drout takes the notion that academics have about fantasy and challenges it. He is a well known and published scholar of several aspects of literature and composition. I was elated to find that a SCHOLAR thought the same about fantasy literature that I did. Drout takes the idea of stories and breaks down the elements of fantasy. He focuses mostly on Tolkien (of course), but he branches out as well. His best lectures are on Tolkien and his works.

Drout also focuses on the effects that Tolkien had on fantasy literature -- specifically LeGuin and Stephen R. Donaldson. Then he moves on to children's literature. I would think that Modern Scholar might want to ask Drout to do a lecture series on HARRY POTTER.

Throughout the lecture (as with the Science Fiction recording from MODERN SCHOLAR) I made myself a list of books to tackle. Some I've loved, others (THOMAS COVENANT) I hated, but Drout has turned me on to several new writers that I have either missed or didn't know.

Engaging voice, ,disappointing content

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I expected a good, thorough overview of fantasy literature. Instead, the professor spent over half the class summarizing Tolkien's stories. I'm sorry, but even if I hadn't read Tolkien, I can get plot synopses on Wikipedia. I wanted more discussion of different types of fantasy, etc. The professor also showed a surprising ignorance of children's fantasy... he claimed that 1980-1995 was a desert for children's fantasy, ignoring important works by writers such as Jane Yolen, Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, Peter Dickinson, and Diana Duane.

What about the narrator’s performance did you like?

Michael Drout's manner and voice was engaging & easy to listen to. No complaints there.

What character would you cut from The Modern Scholar?

Much, MUCH less Tolkien summary, please! I love Tolkien as much as the next fantasy nerd, but... no, this class didn't need to consist mainly of retelling his stories.