
The Modern Scholar
Rings, Swords, and Monsters: Exploring Fantasy Literature
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Narrado por:
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Professor Michael D.C. Drout
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 BooksListeners also enjoyed...




















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Still, overall this comes off as a bit haphazard, bouncing around from King Arthur to Harry Potter and more, mentioning bits and pieces of a variety of fantasy works across the ages.
For a fantasy buff, it's mildly interestnig, but not as much as actually reading a fantasy novel.
Just ok
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What made the experience of listening to The Modern Scholar the most enjoyable?
Professor Drout is very knowledgeable, and is able to convey this knowledge and his theories in a very clear way.Any additional comments?
One thing I would have liked to see (hear?) is more discussion of other authors besides J.R.R. Tolkien. There are a couple sections where other authors are mentioned, but even then it's really only 8 or so compared to 7 lectures on Tolkien.Great overview of Tolkien
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Where does The Modern Scholar rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is among my top ten, surprising in its observations.What other book might you compare The Modern Scholar to and why?
Why take the time to have someone point out what is all around you, always? It's that kind of book, an "actually that makes sense" experience. Power of a Positive No is the nearest equivilant.Sometimes the Obvious isn't Apparent
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After discussing the fantasy genre (a hybridization combining oral epics with novelistic techniques and concerns), Drout limns the origins of modern fantasy (Victorian works like the Alice books, The Waterbabies, and The Princess and the Goblin), and then dives into Tolkien, depicting relevant facts about his life and philological study before assessing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as difficult work like The Silmarillion and important scholarly essays on Beowulf and fantasy. Drout next covers two followers of Tolkien, Brooks the imitator and Donaldson the reactor, as well as two "worthy inheritors" who create fantasy as aesthetically and thematically consistent and compelling as that of Tolkien: Ursula K. Le Guin and Robert Holdstock. He then discusses children's fantasy (Narnia, The Dark is Rising, Prydain, and a bit of Rowling and Pullman) and then the Arthurian genre (T. H. White, Mary Stewart, and Marion Zimmer Bradley). He concludes with a chapter on magical realism (Borges and Garcia-Marquez), arguing that, unlike most modern fantasy, it denies rather than provides healthy escape and is oriented around tragedy rather than Tolkieniean eucatastrophe.
I like the many insights that Drout provides as he lectures, like about Le Guin's solution to death in The Other Wind or about class in The Hobbit or about the way in which Peter Jackson's movies make Tolkien's world smaller. Sure, I wish he'd have covered more authors (like L. Frank Baum, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, Robert E. Howard, Mervyn Peake, or Michael Swanwick) and to have gone into more detail in non-Tolkien chapters, but that only shows how much I enjoyed his "class" and wished it could have been twice as long.
An Informative, Stimulating, and Enjoyable Class
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What did you love best about The Modern Scholar?
On his preferred subjects, Professor Drout had a lot of insight and knowledge to offer.What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
His enthusiasm spills over in his speaking. His occasional readings from the texts were a bit hammy for my tastes, but that's just me.Any additional comments?
No mention of Mervyn Peake? And Robert Howard dismissed with a snide remark?It's like a critical history of Rock music that goes on and on and on about Elvis and the Beatles, but never mentions the Velvet Underground or the Sex Pistols, and dismisses the Rolling Stones with a contemptuous wave of the hand. C'mon.
A partial look at the fantasy genre.
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Good for Fantasy Enthusiast
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I love all of Drout's audiobooks
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Would you listen to The Modern Scholar again? Why?
This is the third or fourth book that I've purchase from Michael Drout. He's a fascinating guy with a great perspective. This book is excellent. I wish he would update it with a few things...First, the Harry Potter series wasn't done when the book came out, and he said he was withholding judgement on it until book seven came out. Now it's out, so I'd love to hear what he has to say.
Second, I would love it if Professor Drout would read Raymond Fiest's books, Magician Apprentice, Magician Master, Silverthorn and Darkness at Sethanon, which is by far my favorite series and comment on them. Then, even better are the Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire.
Great Audio Book!
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Good
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Highly recommend.
For all the bibliophiles out there.
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