Accessing the great American books—the classics—is a unique way of understanding the history of this country and of adding to our own personal estate of literary wealth.
This course covers some of the greatest works of American literature by Irving, Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Whitman, Thoreau, Twain, James, Faulkner, Crane, Hemingway, Frost, and Steinbeck, among many others.
Professor Weinstein reveals the vitality in each work he discusses, finding in every one the "uncanny" quality that marks a masterpiece of the American canon. He shows you that the classics of American literature are vibrant, living forces, and allows you to gain an extraordinary familiarity with each of these authors within a manageable amount of time.