1. Beowulf - read in school, need to read again 2. The Canterbury Tales 3. Utopía - have started, need to finish 4. English Bible (KJV) - read parts of 5. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - read parts of 6. Paradise Lost 7. Pride and Prejudice - read and love 8. David Copperfield - haven’t read, but love to read “A Christmas Carol” every year 9. Moby Dick 10. Middlemarch
That's great, Rachel. I first read Beowulf at school, but I don't think I appreciated it or its importance. Utopia is not an easy read. It is quite stodgy. Don't feel that you must read all of these straight away though. Reading is always first for pleasure. Reading books for educative purposes should also be enjoyable, but if they are not ones you would naturally want to read, I'd suggest spacing them out between other works. Otherwise, one runs the risk of tiring out and asking reading a chore.😀
I thought David Copperfield was booooring. Maybe I need some guidance, but i thought it was a total snoozefest. There is only one passage I liked in the book, which was a scene where Copperfield went and saw a production of Julius Caeser. That one quote alone is worth all the drudgeery.
The way you speak and present the books and their themes... you would be a wonderful seller, I would buy everything from you , from carpets to knives . The result is me thinking about reading Paradise Lost again after the trauma of the first time as I read it to the end without knowing was going on. This video was for me a true lesson on the developemment of English Literature. I! have recently finished Middlemarch and was speechless, such an excellent piece of art!. Thank you Tristan and have a wonderful Advent !
You make me smile, Muhlenstedt! I must remeber to let you know when I start selling carpets or cutlery😂 As for Paradise Lost, it can be quite traumatic, can't it? I only take it in smaller sections. It takes such time to think about.
I'm reading Paradise List right now and loving it! I have an annotated edition, which helps a lot. It *is* slow, and I read everything twice - once silently, to understand it, and once aloud, to hear the poetry.
If you are seriously interested in developing a deeper understanding of literature and the Classics, then you need to watch this video through to hear the reasons for each book on this list. Be patient and fight the urge to simply skip ahead. What would your list of 10 be?
I would love to read Beowulf. But I'm scared... English isn't my first language and there isn't a translation available to my language. My English is good but I'm not sure it's good enough. I struggled a lot with paradise lost and ended up dnfing it for this reason so I'm afraid Beowulf would be the same. Would love a suggestion for an easy translation for both or one with explanations.
@Noa2020 Hi Noa. I understand your concerns. I will say that Beowulf is easier than Paradise Lost. The most recommended translation is the one by Seamus Heaney. There are quite a few movie adaptations which may be of use. Though, some of the more recent ones are particularly bloodthirsty and graphic. Hope this helps.
This is a brilliant piece of work that you have done in describing each individual book and author! Having read many of these, I agree 100 % with your assessments. And you’ve increased my desire to read the others on the list as well !! Thank you!!
I just found your channel. What a delight. You're as good or better than any university professor (I have two kinda rusty old literature degrees from decades back). I love your enthusiasm, thank you so much. ❤️
Finally, a truly intelligent vlog about classics (not that we, students of Lit, don't know which works count as the great classics). But it's pure joy to listen to someone present and comment on them... Where have you been? Thank you. This was pure joy :)
After watching this video, I was so inspired I went to my nearest book seller. I purchased Sherlock Holmes, Great Expectations, The Woman in White and Bleak House.
Hi Tristan. You’re such a good teacher on classic literature. In my opinion, the best on TH-cam. You made me want to read all of these, but maybe Moby Dick in particular, based on the passionate way in which you described it. I only know about it second hand but have never read it. Well worth a separate video. And then of course the collected works of Shakespeare.
I just stumbled on your channel from the suggested views. I’m glad I did. Your analysis of classic literature is stellar. I’ve read most of these books through my expensive literature degree, and I wish you’d have been one of the professors. Your enthusiasm for these works is infectious.
Just found you and subscribed. I agree with Rebecca. Your enthusiasm for literature is infectious. It is so needed in a day and age where I hear people say they don’t read which makes me think they didn’t have a figure like you in their lives.
This is first video of yours , I saw today. It’s not only amazing but also provides broader perspective on imagination, visualisation, feel of words. Thanks a lot.
I was a literature geek in college. I read so many classics that I dreamed of graduating and reading crappy SciFi books. Ever since I've had a disdain for anything written before WWII. When I went to high school we had a "Bible as Literature" class. It's such an important book and necessary for a deeper understanding of most literature, at least from the Herman Melville types who practically wrote allegory. I think it should be taught in high school, but only by certified agnostics.
I agree with you about the King James Bible. It's 10 times better than the newer versions. Some of it is pure poetry. I'll definitely put Middlemarch on my tbr list.
Here's an example: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
The way you talked about Shakespeare honestly gave me goosebumps! He was a beyond brilliant man! I love his works and am a few books away from collecting them all!
This year was my first time reading Moby Dick and I must say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. My favorite character was Queequeg as he seemed the most down to earth of them all. Beowulf was a wonderful reread and I plan on reading it again this year using a different translator. Middlemarch should be a must read as it is a soap opera and drama all in one. The writing was able to suck me in and I felt as if I was moving among the characters. And lastly the KJV is a beautiful translation of the Bible and it is one that I use along with several others. Thanks for this video I really enjoyed it.
Thank you Mr Quixote! That is a really kind thing to say. Sorry not to reply to you sooner, life is so busy. But I truly appreciate your graciously taking the time to comment and be so encouraging. Thank you again.
I cannot praise Middlemarch too much. How wonderful to see you include it on your list. Great list by the way. There's a few books on there I need to follow up.
Great video ! Thanks ! As a Frenchman who loves English and American literature, I was a bit surprised not to see even a wink at Robinson Crusoe. A book that had a huge impact on world literature, on world’s psyche, that’s been retold over and over from various points of view, that’s become a kind of modern myth ! Also… how about doing 10 more great works of literature in English, or works of great impact, just for the 20th century ?
Thank you ever so much for sharing your knowledge and passion for literature! I've read some of the masterpieces you mentioned in the video and now it's time for me to get round to the rest of the top 10. Great job 👍
I just found your channel, I am an avid reader but have only dipped my toe into the classics. Your wonderful videos have inspired me to make 2024 the year to really immerse myself in them. Thanks for all your hard work, love your channel 🙏
Ooh we love a good countdown! 😂 I couldn’t agree with you more Tristian, the Bible is so influential and spotting biblical references and imagery gives you several layers of meaning, depth and clarity, especially when you’re familiar with the original text and recognize the context it’s been used in. Furthermore I would add the book of Samuel 1&2 (stories of king David and King Saul) and the book of judges to your biblical book recommendation as I personally believe that books in the Bible that focus on biblical narrative truly reveal human nature in all of its forms and things can get pretty ugly. Shakespeare comes really close to achieving this in my opinion. And yes! Beowulf has been a recent purchase, so great timing 😂 Keep the deep dives coming, Great video
Couldn't agree with you more, Grace. 1&2 Samuel is a good shout too. Many many allusions are made to King David through later literature. As for Shakespeare, even his plays are liberally doused in allusions to the Bible accounts.
Excellent presentation, Tristan. At age 68, four years ago, I started reading the classics from the ancient Greeks through the early 20th century. Your videos have helped along the way. It's never too late to get started. BTW, The Geneva Bible, housed in the Shakespeare Folger Library, is loaded with marginalia reflecting passages in Shakespeare's works.@@tristanandtheclassics6538
Thank you for another wonderful video! I learn so much from your talks. This has motivated me to FINALLY pick up my copy of MIDDLEMARCH that I have owned for a handful of years! Thank you.
“Pride and Prejudice” is my absolute favorite English novel. Jane Austen is a towering figure in English literature. For Charles Dickens I would’ve picked the timeless “A Christmas Carol”.
Loved this! Before I watched - I paused and came up with my own list (for fun) and we matched on SIX! How fun. And i certainly had read two others from your list . You've inspired me to read Utopia and Paradise Lost (and to re-read Middlemarch, and more of Shakespeare). Dickens has been high on my list for years - and I enjoy each additional work of his that I read. Thank you!
I haven't finished Beowulf yet but I personally think it's one of the most beautiful works I have read. Paradise Lost definitely intimidates me though. Great list Captain!
It was great to see you on the group discussion earlier, Mandy. Totally relate to your feelings about Paradise Lost. It intimidates me, too. While there is a lot of beauty, there is a lot of head scratching as well. I only take it in increments. But in a way, I thoroughly relish that.
Of all my 'A' Level books, Paradise Lost was my favourite. Obviously it been years since I read it and now bought a copy to re-read it. As for Dickens, having read all his works,my favourite is Great Expectations. Bought Canterbury Tales (illustrated)...again to remind me why I liked it ! The problem is the number of unread books vs re-read s 🤔 Never enough time !
Another fantastic list! I have most of these on my shelves and I think this is a sign I should read them. I've decided to sit down with this list, your recent get started with the classics list, and your Gothic literature list, and sketch out a reading plan for next year. Of course if it takes longer than a year so be it. I'm deliriously excited to start reading! Merry Christmas to you and yours. I'm wishing you all the blessings and joy 🎄
So glad to see that you have included the King James Bible. It is great literature. And the reading of it portrays, to a heart that is open to the things of God, an eternal salvation which is the hope this world needs desperately today.
I haven't read Moby Dick. I'm planning on it soon! But for me, the greatest American novel is Huckleberry Finn! It's very American. haha. I need to read Oliver Twist too. It forms part of the picaresque literature that started with an amazing little Spanish novel called Lazarillo de Tormes. I studied Spanish literature. :) Thanks for the great video!
I just finished "The Woman in White." Wow. I only listened to it, but after the 27 hours plus, I'm sorry it's over. I often lose track of audio stories, but not this one. I'm looking for another one from your list. It's hard to measure or even comprehend the immensely insightful human named Wilkie Collins. Thank you.
Half of these are included in our homeschool community (Classical Conversations) sophomore Exposition strand. Additionally we read The Green Knight, Swift, Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrim's Progress, Jane Eyre, The Knight's Tale, and a couple more. It's quite the year for 16 year-olds as well as for the tutor. They have to write persuasive essays for each book, too. There were some amazing and lively discussions in my 5 years teaching that level! Some of my former students are now college grads and married -- and those books still come up from time to time (some classes were close knit and are still friends with my adult kids). Classical homeschooling allowed me to redeem my own education. I fell madly in love with the classics from ancient to the 20th century. Their third year is dedicated to Shakespeare and poetry, while their final years caps with the oldctestament and ancient pegan Greek and Roman authors seen through a Christian lens. Best 12 years of my life. Changed everything. Can't wait to start Moby Dick!
It’s unfortunate that the “final years caps with…ancient pegan Greek and Roman authors seen through a Christian lens. [sic]” and not just read as there are, divorced from a deliberate Christian bias-reading deliberately with reference to Christian doctrine is a surefire way to misinterpret and distort those Greek & Roman authors. For instance, understanding hedonism from the works of Epicurean thinkers, say, Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, would be impossibly anachronistic if done through ‘a Christian lens’ because the principle of maximal pleasure as the good, for Epicureans, entailed, counterintuitively, a life strictly lived in the most rigorous of moral virtue that rivaled the most ascetic monks of the middle-ages. This is a view at odds with Christian conceptions of pleasure and suffering, especially since the concept of sin in Ancient Greek & Roman thought is virtually non-existent and considered to be absurd. Imagine I said, “read the Ancient Greek & Roman authors through a Satanic lens…” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it.
I have only just discovered your channel - great list and great video! It's rare to find a BookTuber who talks about classic literature without dumbing it down. Middlemarch is on my shelf (lovely Folio edition), I want to tackle it but I feel it's best suited to autumn/winter.
What a wonderful narration and descriptive analysis (I hope I used the right words) you made of the 10 greatest books in the English language . I am a native Spanish speaker from Colombia , who lives in the U.S.
Moby Dick was a good short story jam packed into about 600 pages of unrelenting tedium. It was ignored for decades after it was published ( the good old days ! )
I read Middlemarch long ago and now I don't recall too much about it but I do recall that at the time I read it I thought that it was the best novel I had ever read.
Motivating as always- thank you Tristan! Merry Christmas! May the Lord keep you warm and your heating bills low:)- Hope all is well in that regard- one of your fans from the US
The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy One Flew over the Cookos nest Ken Kesley The Grass Arena John Healy An Evil Cradling (pay attention to the poem "Nightmare" in his book.) Brian Keenan
Wonderful video, Tristan. Shakespeare and the King James Bible do really stand as the top two! I still haven't read Utopia or (gasp) David Copperfield...
Ok. After hearing what your friend said about David Copperfield, I am now racking my brains to come up with 10 Dickens books that are "better books" than David Copperfield. I think Great Expectations. But David Copperfield is probably the Dickens book I have re-read more than any of his others. Also, it's one of the few Dickens books that doesn't end at the happy marriage for the protagonist, but actually goes through and explores what happens when David Copperfield marries the pretty girl who actually is not a good match for him - which for me makes it one of the more interesting Dickens stories. Plus Uriah Heep and Mr Micawber are both in it. And Betsy Trotwood and her war against the Donkeys. And the lovely Mr Dick. As you say, once you start thinking of characters, they do just live in your head in Dickens.
I took a British literature class few years ago and we started with Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, but I was more interested in Hamlet. We read every story from Canterbury Tales and didn't get to Hamlet, so that tainted my feelings on Canterbury Tales. I think I might want to get another shot though.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 will read it this year but first currently reading King Lear. There's a fantasy retelling of that one called The Queen's of Innis Lear. I'm excited to read about one that I haven't heard as much about.
Thank you again for a terrific video. You have a nice easygoing style that draws the listener in and inspires. I have not read all of these choices but I recognize how important they are to Western Civilization and World Literature. I recently rediscovered Shakespeare and my appreciation of him grows as time passes. Age has a way of doing that. :) I could never get into Jane Austen...she seems so frilly and silly to me. Maybe I am being unfair. English literature is the best of all time in my opinion. There is other great literature from other cultures but no one tops the English. Thank you for posting and I love watching all of your work. Cheers and a very happy holiday season sir.
This is a very strong list, and I would be really interested in having entire videos dedicated to each one. Yale put up a course on The American Novel Since 1945, and in March, I am going to host a reading group to discuss each of the lectures week by week. Just a thought, but you could probably put up a similar course with these books. It sounds like each of them is worthy of a deep dive.
I started reading the Bible after college and it described me exactly as I was, especially the woman at the well. It also describes God in all his majesty and kind, unconditional love. It's actually a book for the poor which is why we have difficulty understanding it.
I doubt I'll ever read the older ones. You've got me considering trying Moby Dick again someday. I got to about p100 but got sick of his type of wordiness. Thank you for the fantastic list and descriptions!
Excellent choice of books for top 10! A few other of my favorite books include 1. Rasselas by Dr. Samuel Johnson 2. Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding 3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 5. A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne
I'm conviced, I have avoided Moby Dick after two previous attempts but will give it another go. Thanks, Tristan, I only discovered your channel about a month ago, I look forward to following you in 2024.
Hi Tristan, I just finished reading the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf and love it for its readability. But, I would really like to read the one that you read from for this video. I like the more traditional alliteration and rhythm used in the verses.
Finally, found a British review of classics on TH-cam. Please do a short ? series on the King James Bible, and videos on Dickens, Moby Dick, Middlemarch.
Can't agree with your selections although I'd make an exception for The Canterbury Tales; for me it's Middlemarch,(best) Bleak House, Nineteen Eighty Four, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Catch-22, Macbeth, Jane Eyre, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Scarlet Letter and The Lord of the Rings.
I agree with you on all your selections apart from Catch 22 . I couldn’t wait to finish it . Why did you put it in your top ten , I would be interested to get your thoughts
@@MrStevewoods I just love the Kafka-esque satrical comedy of it all and I found myself laughing almost throughout; I think Heller writes very well too and was sorry when it ended. Now that I think about it I could also have added a Hemingway or Vonnegut book to replace this as well but I'm happy with the choice.
@@frederickdamianbaptist7331 For Whom The Bell Tolls for me . I love the part where the townsfolk trap the fascists and end up throwing them over the cliff . Very powerful stuff , i loved it
@@MrStevewoods "For ... Tolls" is pretty good however I personally find "The Sun Also Rises" and "The Old Man and The Sea" to be superior; I like it better than "A Farewell To Arms" though.
I agree about Dickens. Miss Mowcher is perhaps my favorite, then Mr Dick and Aunt Betsey. I'm nearing the end of David Copperfield and regret their passing. It depends on which age one is passing through in life, our preference.
It is so true that our age and changing experiences affect our love of characters. Ones we admire in youth often appear hollow when we are older. Those we disliked when younger often become oddly astute upon a reading later in life.
My list would be almost identical. But I have to put Gulliver's Travels and one of the Bronte sister's works in there. So I will take out Utopia and Beowulf. I think there's a big difference between "What I like the best" and "What is the best". The best of Bronte I would say is Wuthering Heights. But my favorite is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
I can't really argue with your list but I do think Robinson Crusoe is an omission. Not only a hugely influential work, perhaps the first English language novel, but also a pleasure to read and full of incredible insight into the human condition. I think Thomas Hardy also deserves some consideration, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is absolutely shattering. Perhaps if the list was extended to the top 12 prior to the 20th Century I would include these. Wuthering Heights also gives some serious competition.
Great work. You may be interested in talking about Elizabeth Paradiso Urassa's books. They are very good for university students and may help the loved ones not to drop out of their studies. I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you very much.
I found it difficult to wade through Dickens! Maybe that would explain why he wrote so many of his books in a serial format in newspapers? Andrew Davies wrote the screenplay for the BBC presentation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’! A great presentation for people who don’t necessarily want to read the book? He also wrote the excellent BBC presentation of Vanity Fair by Thackeray! I certainly wouldn’t like to tackle that particular tome!
I agree with you about great characters in Dickens! A favourite of mine is "Our mutual friend " and the unique Nicodemus Boffin, as well as the bizarre Mr. Venus. Greetings from Athens!
Thank you so much for creating your Chanel. It’s my daily indulgence at the end of the day. Was dreaming that perhaps you would create a zoom Group of your fans in different countries to read these books together.
I just came across this and really liked it. I have a strong background in lit, etc...will make this brief. In 2011 in summer I read Moby Dick, cover to cover. I was 40 years old at the time. One of the greatest novels I have ever read, period. Just out of this world. Melville must have had the soul of Shakespeare within him.
The Oxford English Dictionary: an amazing accomplishment with an hi-story as rich and interesting as any novel. Roget's Thesaurus: not only for synonyms and antonyms, but for a classification of words and thought compiled by an author with an interesting life, who has been a character in several minor fictional works.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 interesting. Have you heard this? I feel kinda funny sharing this but here goes(not sure I think this means anything but someone pointed it out to me... interesting if nothing else. Psalms 117 is the shortest verse in Psalms, 119 is the longest. Verse 118 is in between. There are 594 chapters before 118 and 594 after. If you add the two together they equal 1188 (or verse 118.8). I've heard it said this is the theme of the Bible, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans." Psalms 118:8 Kinda silly...but a great verse...lol
Wonderful discussion! All great reads! My personal favorite is Dickens! I think the greatest author ever! Reread Middlemarch & Moby Dick quite often! Les Miserable my second favorite, but French! Thanku SO much! Great work!
As usual you did it. Utopia would be my suggestion. I also appreciate you comments about the Bible as literature. I should be read even in that way because it influenced so much of western civilization.
Thanks, Jane. You are right. Whatever ones personal views about the Bible (and there are many and varied ones), one cannot argue against the monumental effect it has had on literature as a whole. The same can be said for other works too, which I might discuss in a later video.
Ahhhh, I didn't realize till the end you only went up to 19th C. NOW, I get it. Given that, I don't know that I can improve on this. Maybe Spenser over Utopia? (don't hold me to it) But really, this is pretty good. Yep, Milton did what he did 200 years before Whitman made it stylish. I agree with your rationale on Copperfield.
The first six are understandably included for literary quality and influence. The last four are debatable. Where are "Gulliver's Travels"(actually 4 books), "Tom Jones", "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"? In the 19th century there were "Far From the Madding Crowd", "Vanity Fair". Those are just a few of the contenders.
So many great female English writers in the 19th century: - Jane Austen - Charlotte Brontë - Emily Brontë - Elizabeth Gaskell - George Eliot - Mary Shelley
paradise lost is so beautiful but its not an easy read, it almost forces you to study the text 😅 i read a few pages at a time, its a slow but very very satisfying read.
I attended a college where my father was head of the English Department. During dinner one evening, he asked me what was the current topic of my Norton Anthology of English Literature course. I responded Milton’s Paradise Lost. I told him that my teacher suggested that Satan was the real hero in the work. He became visibly upset and said that was a 19th century idea that had been totally discredited and absolutely no contemporary scholar of any reputation subscribed to it. I was unaware the he was a renowned Milton scholar - learned much more about him when I was in Grad school. In any event, using his notes made for some very heated discussions in class!
I recall in Annie Hall when Annie asked for a suggestion of what subject she she take in night school Woody Allen's charachter replies "just don't take anything where they make you read Beowulf."
If, as you say, you're looking at works for their place in a history of literature and their cultural influence, I'm not sure you can get away with excluding 'The Lord of the Rings' from the list. Whether or not you like it as a work, and indeed whether or not you like the entire genre, whether you like the use of language in it or its quality as a work of art, I can't think of another work where any bookshop you walk into has a section, an entire literary genre, essentially spawned by that single work (not to mention a wider subcultural genre outside of the strictly literary sphere). The shelf label might say 'Fantasy', but it might as well say 'Tolkienesque'! Tokien's own backwards-looking inspiration in the work from long-historical sources is a bonus in terms of threads of literary history, and even some of the common "sociological critiques" of it (relating things in it to his personal worldview or the fact that he was a person in a particular culture at a particular time) I'd think make it more valuable as a cultural artifact!
1. Beowulf - read in school, need to read again
2. The Canterbury Tales
3. Utopía - have started, need to finish
4. English Bible (KJV) - read parts of
5. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - read parts of
6. Paradise Lost
7. Pride and Prejudice - read and love
8. David Copperfield - haven’t read, but love to read “A Christmas Carol” every year
9. Moby Dick
10. Middlemarch
That's great, Rachel. I first read Beowulf at school, but I don't think I appreciated it or its importance.
Utopia is not an easy read. It is quite stodgy. Don't feel that you must read all of these straight away though. Reading is always first for pleasure. Reading books for educative purposes should also be enjoyable, but if they are not ones you would naturally want to read, I'd suggest spacing them out between other works. Otherwise, one runs the risk of tiring out and asking reading a chore.😀
David Copperfield. 💯 You cannot even be considered for heaven unless you’ve read that. So get cracking …
I thought David Copperfield was booooring. Maybe I need some guidance, but i thought it was a total snoozefest. There is only one passage I liked in the book, which was a scene where Copperfield went and saw a production of Julius Caeser. That one quote alone is worth all the drudgeery.
There isn't a book on the list I would even remotely be interested in-the bible is utter nonsense.
I'd add Blood Meridian to this list, among others.
The way you speak and present the books and their themes... you would be a wonderful seller, I would buy everything from you , from carpets to knives . The result is me thinking about reading Paradise Lost again after the trauma of the first time as I read it to the end without knowing was going on. This video was for me a true lesson on the developemment of English Literature. I! have recently finished Middlemarch and was speechless, such an excellent piece of art!. Thank you Tristan and have a wonderful Advent !
You make me smile, Muhlenstedt! I must remeber to let you know when I start selling carpets or cutlery😂 As for Paradise Lost, it can be quite traumatic, can't it? I only take it in smaller sections. It takes such time to think about.
I'm reading Paradise List right now and loving it! I have an annotated edition, which helps a lot. It *is* slow, and I read everything twice - once silently, to understand it, and once aloud, to hear the poetry.
Just like great books are re-readable, your videos are re-watchable due to the wonderful content.
If you are seriously interested in developing a deeper understanding of literature and the Classics, then you need to watch this video through to hear the reasons for each book on this list. Be patient and fight the urge to simply skip ahead.
What would your list of 10 be?
I would love to read Beowulf. But I'm scared... English isn't my first language and there isn't a translation available to my language. My English is good but I'm not sure it's good enough. I struggled a lot with paradise lost and ended up dnfing it for this reason so I'm afraid Beowulf would be the same. Would love a suggestion for an easy translation for both or one with explanations.
@Noa2020 Hi Noa. I understand your concerns. I will say that Beowulf is easier than Paradise Lost. The most recommended translation is the one by Seamus Heaney. There are quite a few movie adaptations which may be of use. Though, some of the more recent ones are particularly bloodthirsty and graphic. Hope this helps.
This is a brilliant piece of work that you have done in describing each individual book and author! Having read many of these, I agree 100 % with your assessments. And you’ve increased my desire to read the others on the list as well !! Thank you!!
I just found your channel. What a delight. You're as good or better than any university professor (I have two kinda rusty old literature degrees from decades back). I love your enthusiasm, thank you so much. ❤️
Finally, a truly intelligent vlog about classics (not that we, students of Lit, don't know which works count as the great classics). But it's pure joy to listen to someone present and comment on them... Where have you been? Thank you. This was pure joy :)
Amen. I can't stand watching a 20yo uni student talking about the classics where they say stuff like, "urgh, Dickens. He just rambles on!"
I have read thousands of books over the last six decades, and hands down, Moby Dick is my all time favorite.
After watching this video, I was so inspired I went to my nearest book seller. I purchased Sherlock Holmes, Great Expectations, The Woman in White and Bleak House.
The Woman in White is ENTHRALLING.
i remember with fond memories perusing the used bookstores
Hi Tristan. You’re such a good teacher on classic literature. In my opinion, the best on TH-cam. You made me want to read all of these, but maybe Moby Dick in particular, based on the passionate way in which you described it. I only know about it second hand but have never read it. Well worth a separate video. And then of course the collected works of Shakespeare.
Wow this video is life changing for me...I'm blown away ...perfection....well done my friend
Thank you Todd, that's really kind of you to say. I appreciate your being so encouraging and taking the time to comment.
I just stumbled on your channel from the suggested views. I’m glad I did. Your analysis of classic literature is stellar. I’ve read most of these books through my expensive literature degree, and I wish you’d have been one of the professors. Your enthusiasm for these works is infectious.
Hi Rebecca! Im pleased that you arrived here. So pleased to meet another literature lover. And thank you for the compliments and positivity.
Just found you and subscribed. I agree with Rebecca. Your enthusiasm for literature is infectious. It is so needed in a day and age where I hear people say they don’t read which makes me think they didn’t have a figure like you in their lives.
This is first video of yours , I saw today.
It’s not only amazing but also provides broader perspective on imagination, visualisation, feel of words. Thanks a lot.
Wonderful list and even better justifications and descriptions!
I was a literature geek in college. I read so many classics that I dreamed of graduating and reading crappy SciFi books. Ever since I've had a disdain for anything written before WWII. When I went to high school we had a "Bible as Literature" class. It's such an important book and necessary for a deeper understanding of most literature, at least from the Herman Melville types who practically wrote allegory. I think it should be taught in high school, but only by certified agnostics.
People like you gross me out with how small minded you are
I agree with you about the King James Bible. It's 10 times better than the newer versions. Some of it is pure poetry. I'll definitely put Middlemarch on my tbr list.
Here's an example:
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
But much less accurate than the Revised Version.
As a cultural Catholic I want the King James plus the so called “apocrypha.” Seems incomplete.
I read Middlemarch 2 pages per day (since it was serialized) and took about 170 pages of notes. I'm doing the same with Infinite Jest.
I prefer the King James version for the beautiful language.
you deserve more followers ! atleast it would be good for the people tuning in . well rounded appreciation for art and analysis
The way you talked about Shakespeare honestly gave me goosebumps! He was a beyond brilliant man! I love his works and am a few books away from collecting them all!
Shakespeare was the Michelangelo of literature.
Followed closely by Milton and Andrew Marvell
This year was my first time reading Moby Dick and I must say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. My favorite character was Queequeg as he seemed the most down to earth of them all. Beowulf was a wonderful reread and I plan on reading it again this year using a different translator. Middlemarch should be a must read as it is a soap opera and drama all in one. The writing was able to suck me in and I felt as if I was moving among the characters. And lastly the KJV is a beautiful translation of the Bible and it is one that I use along with several others. Thanks for this video I really enjoyed it.
I have watched a lot of 'best books' videos but this one is quite special and a couple of cuts above the rest.
Thank you Mr Quixote! That is a really kind thing to say. Sorry not to reply to you sooner, life is so busy. But I truly appreciate your graciously taking the time to comment and be so encouraging. Thank you again.
I first read Middlemarch in the 90s and have read it several times since. I never tire of the story. One of my favorites.
I cannot praise Middlemarch too much. How wonderful to see you include it on your list. Great list by the way. There's a few books on there I need to follow up.
Thank you so much for the vlogs that you do. They make the classics so accessible for me. I always look forward to them 📚
"None ever wished it longer than it is." - Samuel Johnson on Paradise Lost
That's superb. 😂😂😂
Great video ! Thanks ! As a Frenchman who loves English and American literature, I was a bit surprised not to see even a wink at Robinson Crusoe. A book that had a huge impact on world literature, on world’s psyche, that’s been retold over and over from various points of view, that’s become a kind of modern myth !
Also… how about doing 10 more great works of literature in English, or works of great impact, just for the 20th century ?
Me too. I think that Robinson Crusoe set the template for everything that followed.
YES!! I LOVE David Copperfield exactly because of the characters!! 😍
Thank you ever so much for sharing your knowledge and passion for literature!
I've read some of the masterpieces you mentioned in the video and now it's time for me to get round to the rest of the top 10. Great job 👍
I just found your channel, I am an avid reader but have only dipped my toe into the classics. Your wonderful videos have inspired me to make 2024 the year to really immerse myself in them. Thanks for all your hard work, love your channel 🙏
Oh I am thrilled that you want to make this a year for the Classics, Niamh. You have an Aladdin's cave of treasures before you.😀❤️
@@tristanandtheclassics6538Thanks Tristan, hope you have a wonderful day 🙏
Please tell us about yourself. What is your name? What is your educational background? Why are you so well read and so well-versed? Thank you.
Ooh we love a good countdown! 😂 I couldn’t agree with you more Tristian, the Bible is so influential and spotting biblical references and imagery gives you several layers of meaning, depth and clarity, especially when you’re familiar with the original text and recognize the context it’s been used in. Furthermore I would add the book of Samuel 1&2 (stories of king David and King Saul) and the book of judges to your biblical book recommendation as I personally believe that books in the Bible that focus on biblical narrative truly reveal human nature in all of its forms and things can get pretty ugly. Shakespeare comes really close to achieving this in my opinion. And yes! Beowulf has been a recent purchase, so great timing 😂 Keep the deep dives coming, Great video
Couldn't agree with you more, Grace. 1&2 Samuel is a good shout too. Many many allusions are made to King David through later literature.
As for Shakespeare, even his plays are liberally doused in allusions to the Bible accounts.
Excellent presentation, Tristan. At age 68, four years ago, I started reading the classics from the ancient Greeks through the early 20th century. Your videos have helped along the way. It's never too late to get started. BTW, The Geneva Bible, housed in the Shakespeare Folger Library, is loaded with marginalia reflecting passages in Shakespeare's works.@@tristanandtheclassics6538
Thank you for another wonderful video! I learn so much from your talks. This has motivated me to FINALLY pick up my copy of MIDDLEMARCH that I have owned for a handful of years! Thank you.
Wonderful, Tim! I hope that you enjoy it. I personally love Eliot's way of writing. Let me know how you get on.
“Pride and Prejudice” is my absolute favorite English novel. Jane Austen is a towering figure in English literature.
For Charles Dickens I would’ve picked the timeless “A Christmas Carol”.
I think Moby DIck is astonishing. Great choice, though I love The Great Gatsby.
You inspire me to read the Classics. Love your vids.
Pretty cool that two woman did make it the top ten!
Just found your channel. I feel like I am back in college and am listening to an interesting English professor.
Loved this! Before I watched - I paused and came up with my own list (for fun) and we matched on SIX! How fun. And i certainly had read two others from your list . You've inspired me to read Utopia and Paradise Lost (and to re-read Middlemarch, and more of Shakespeare). Dickens has been high on my list for years - and I enjoy each additional work of his that I read. Thank you!
Brilliant! Gets me motivated to read again. Thank you!
The last paragraph of Middlemarch is one of the most beautifully written and moving passages I've ever read. I think of it often.
I haven't finished Beowulf yet but I personally think it's one of the most beautiful works I have read. Paradise Lost definitely intimidates me though. Great list Captain!
It was great to see you on the group discussion earlier, Mandy.
Totally relate to your feelings about Paradise Lost. It intimidates me, too. While there is a lot of beauty, there is a lot of head scratching as well. I only take it in increments. But in a way, I thoroughly relish that.
I am in the middle of Beowulf too it is really cool
Of all my 'A' Level books, Paradise Lost was my favourite.
Obviously it been years since I read it and now bought a copy to re-read it.
As for Dickens, having read all his works,my favourite is Great Expectations.
Bought Canterbury Tales (illustrated)...again to remind me why I liked it !
The problem is the number of unread books vs re-read s 🤔
Never enough time !
Can you recommend a modern translation?
Another fantastic list! I have most of these on my shelves and I think this is a sign I should read them. I've decided to sit down with this list, your recent get started with the classics list, and your Gothic literature list, and sketch out a reading plan for next year. Of course if it takes longer than a year so be it. I'm deliriously excited to start reading!
Merry Christmas to you and yours. I'm wishing you all the blessings and joy 🎄
Thank you Michelle. How wonderful to be 'deliriously excited to start reading.' Your comment has given me a buzz inside. Keep in touch, Michelle.
So glad to see that you have included the King James Bible. It is great literature. And the reading of it portrays, to a heart that is open to the things of God, an eternal salvation which is the hope this world needs desperately today.
I haven't read Moby Dick. I'm planning on it soon! But for me, the greatest American novel is Huckleberry Finn! It's very American. haha. I need to read Oliver Twist too. It forms part of the picaresque literature that started with an amazing little Spanish novel called Lazarillo de Tormes. I studied Spanish literature. :) Thanks for the great video!
I just finished "The Woman in White." Wow. I only listened to it, but after the 27 hours plus, I'm sorry it's over. I often lose track of audio stories, but not this one. I'm looking for another one from your list. It's hard to measure or even comprehend the immensely insightful human named Wilkie Collins. Thank you.
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it, Susan. Let me know what you read next.😀👍
Half of these are included in our homeschool community (Classical Conversations) sophomore Exposition strand. Additionally we read The Green Knight, Swift, Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrim's Progress, Jane Eyre, The Knight's Tale, and a couple more. It's quite the year for 16 year-olds as well as for the tutor. They have to write persuasive essays for each book, too. There were some amazing and lively discussions in my 5 years teaching that level! Some of my former students are now college grads and married -- and those books still come up from time to time (some classes were close knit and are still friends with my adult kids). Classical homeschooling allowed me to redeem my own education. I fell madly in love with the classics from ancient to the 20th century. Their third year is dedicated to Shakespeare and poetry, while their final years caps with the oldctestament and ancient pegan Greek and Roman authors seen through a Christian lens. Best 12 years of my life. Changed everything. Can't wait to start Moby Dick!
It’s unfortunate that the “final years caps with…ancient pegan Greek and Roman authors seen through a Christian lens. [sic]” and not just read as there are, divorced from a deliberate Christian bias-reading deliberately with reference to Christian doctrine is a surefire way to misinterpret and distort those Greek & Roman authors. For instance, understanding hedonism from the works of Epicurean thinkers, say, Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, would be impossibly anachronistic if done through ‘a Christian lens’ because the principle of maximal pleasure as the good, for Epicureans, entailed, counterintuitively, a life strictly lived in the most rigorous of moral virtue that rivaled the most ascetic monks of the middle-ages. This is a view at odds with Christian conceptions of pleasure and suffering, especially since the concept of sin in Ancient Greek & Roman thought is virtually non-existent and considered to be absurd.
Imagine I said, “read the Ancient Greek & Roman authors through a Satanic lens…” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it.
Great list. David copper field is on my list to read,just moved it up after your comments on it.
Get ready to enjoy yourself, Callum. A wonderful work from the 'Shakespeare of the novel.'
I have only just discovered your channel - great list and great video! It's rare to find a BookTuber who talks about classic literature without dumbing it down.
Middlemarch is on my shelf (lovely Folio edition), I want to tackle it but I feel it's best suited to autumn/winter.
What a wonderful narration and descriptive analysis (I hope I used the right words) you made of the 10 greatest books in the English language . I am a native Spanish speaker from Colombia , who lives in the U.S.
Moby Dick was a good short story jam packed into about 600 pages of unrelenting tedium. It was ignored for decades after it was published ( the good old days ! )
I read Middlemarch long ago and now I don't recall too much about it but I do recall that at the time I read it I thought that it was the best novel I had ever read.
David Copperfield is definitely my all-time favorite Dickens masterpiece.
My first ever book was Dickens - David Cooperfield. And till today, as I aged 24, still my most favorite piece!! ❤
Motivating as always- thank you Tristan! Merry Christmas! May the Lord keep you warm and your heating bills low:)- Hope all is well in that regard- one of your fans from the US
Amen to the heating bills. 😂 Thank you.
The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy
One Flew over the Cookos nest Ken Kesley
The Grass Arena John Healy
An Evil Cradling (pay attention to the poem "Nightmare" in his book.) Brian Keenan
Had to do a double-take. Thought you were Joe Pasquale.
Great content. Really enjoyed the contribution
Wonderful video, Tristan. Shakespeare and the King James Bible do really stand as the top two! I still haven't read Utopia or (gasp) David Copperfield...
Ok. After hearing what your friend said about David Copperfield, I am now racking my brains to come up with 10 Dickens books that are "better books" than David Copperfield. I think Great Expectations. But David Copperfield is probably the Dickens book I have re-read more than any of his others. Also, it's one of the few Dickens books that doesn't end at the happy marriage for the protagonist, but actually goes through and explores what happens when David Copperfield marries the pretty girl who actually is not a good match for him - which for me makes it one of the more interesting Dickens stories. Plus Uriah Heep and Mr Micawber are both in it. And Betsy Trotwood and her war against the Donkeys. And the lovely Mr Dick.
As you say, once you start thinking of characters, they do just live in your head in Dickens.
I took a British literature class few years ago and we started with Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, but I was more interested in Hamlet. We read every story from Canterbury Tales and didn't get to Hamlet, so that tainted my feelings on Canterbury Tales. I think I might want to get another shot though.
Oh that's tragic, that you never got to Hamlet. I'd have been upset with Chaucer to, if he'd held me back from Shakespeare.😀
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 will read it this year but first currently reading King Lear. There's a fantasy retelling of that one called The Queen's of Innis Lear. I'm excited to read about one that I haven't heard as much about.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538p
I’m studying for my FTCE English (to teach English in high school) exam and this is very helpful.
If you’re referring to the King James Version, I agree. Early modern English, like Shakespeare.
Fabulous selections. Was pleased to see that Moby Dick made the cut. That novel inspired me to read more classics.
Pleased that you approve, Ralph. Moby Dick has been the gateway book for many into the Classics. It is a great work.
Thank you again for a terrific video. You have a nice easygoing style that draws the listener in and inspires. I have not read all of these choices but I recognize how important they are to Western Civilization and World Literature. I recently rediscovered Shakespeare and my appreciation of him grows as time passes. Age has a way of doing that. :) I could never get into Jane Austen...she seems so frilly and silly to me. Maybe I am being unfair. English literature is the best of all time in my opinion. There is other great literature from other cultures but no one tops the English. Thank you for posting and I love watching all of your work. Cheers and a very happy holiday season sir.
This is a very strong list, and I would be really interested in having entire videos dedicated to each one. Yale put up a course on The American Novel Since 1945, and in March, I am going to host a reading group to discuss each of the lectures week by week. Just a thought, but you could probably put up a similar course with these books. It sounds like each of them is worthy of a deep dive.
I took a class on U.S. history since 1945. Wouldn't it be interesting to do those courses at the same time.
I started reading the Bible after college and it described me exactly as I was, especially the woman at the well. It also describes God in all his majesty and kind, unconditional love. It's actually a book for the poor which is why we have difficulty understanding it.
I doubt I'll ever read the older ones. You've got me considering trying Moby Dick again someday. I got to about p100 but got sick of his type of wordiness. Thank you for the fantastic list and descriptions!
Excellent choice of books for top 10! A few other of my favorite books include
1. Rasselas by Dr. Samuel Johnson
2. Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
5. A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne
Talk about Don Quixote. Enjoyed your rendering of 10 top classics. Thanks a lot
I'm conviced, I have avoided Moby Dick after two previous attempts but will give it another go. Thanks, Tristan, I only discovered your channel about a month ago, I look forward to following you in 2024.
I got mad at Mr. Melville and couldn’t finish Moby Duck.
Has anyone ever edited Moby Dick? Editing out all the tangents. Leaving just the story . I would like to read that.
Hi Tristan, I just finished reading the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf and love it for its readability. But, I would really like to read the one that you read from for this video. I like the more traditional alliteration and rhythm used in the verses.
Middlemarch is such a wonderful book, thank for including it
Wow! What a great explanation of what qualifies a book for “greatest” status.
Finally, found a British review of classics on TH-cam. Please do a short ? series on the King James Bible, and videos on Dickens, Moby Dick, Middlemarch.
Can't agree with your selections although I'd make an exception for The Canterbury Tales; for me it's Middlemarch,(best) Bleak House, Nineteen Eighty Four, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Catch-22, Macbeth, Jane Eyre, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Scarlet Letter and The Lord of the Rings.
I agree with you on all your selections apart from Catch 22 . I couldn’t wait to finish it . Why did you put it in your top ten , I would be interested to get your thoughts
@@MrStevewoods I just love the Kafka-esque satrical comedy of it all and I found myself laughing almost throughout; I think Heller writes very well too and was sorry when it ended. Now that I think about it I could also have added a Hemingway or Vonnegut book to replace this as well but I'm happy with the choice.
@@frederickdamianbaptist7331 For Whom The Bell Tolls for me . I love the part where the townsfolk trap the fascists and end up throwing them over the cliff . Very powerful stuff , i loved it
@@MrStevewoods "For ... Tolls" is pretty good however I personally find "The Sun Also Rises" and "The Old Man and The Sea" to be superior; I like it better than "A Farewell To Arms" though.
Great presentations of each of these books. Well done! I must have another crack at Moby Dick someday!
I agree about Dickens. Miss Mowcher is perhaps my favorite, then Mr Dick and Aunt Betsey. I'm nearing the end of David Copperfield and regret their passing. It depends on which age one is passing through in life, our preference.
It is so true that our age and changing experiences affect our love of characters. Ones we admire in youth often appear hollow when we are older. Those we disliked when younger often become oddly astute upon a reading later in life.
My list would be almost identical. But I have to put Gulliver's Travels and one of the Bronte sister's works in there. So I will take out Utopia and Beowulf.
I think there's a big difference between "What I like the best" and "What is the best". The best of Bronte I would say is Wuthering Heights. But my favorite is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
I can't really argue with your list but I do think Robinson Crusoe is an omission. Not only a hugely influential work, perhaps the first English language novel, but also a pleasure to read and full of incredible insight into the human condition. I think Thomas Hardy also deserves some consideration, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is absolutely shattering. Perhaps if the list was extended to the top 12 prior to the 20th Century I would include these. Wuthering Heights also gives some serious competition.
Great work. You may be interested in talking about Elizabeth Paradiso Urassa's books. They are very good for university students and may help the loved ones not to drop out of their studies. I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you very much.
Melville’s Moby-Dick is a towering achievement and rightly the great American novel. “Call me Ishmael"!
I found it difficult to wade through Dickens! Maybe that would explain why he wrote so many of his books in a serial format in newspapers?
Andrew Davies wrote the screenplay for the BBC presentation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’! A great presentation for people who don’t necessarily want to read the book?
He also wrote the excellent BBC presentation of Vanity Fair by Thackeray! I certainly wouldn’t like to tackle that particular tome!
Picking the top ten of any media..literature, music, movies, and even art is truly just a personal choice.
I agree with you about great characters in Dickens! A favourite of mine is "Our mutual friend " and the unique Nicodemus Boffin, as well as the bizarre Mr. Venus. Greetings from Athens!
Thank you so much for creating your Chanel. It’s my daily indulgence at the end of the day. Was dreaming that perhaps you would create a zoom
Group of your fans in different countries to read these books together.
I just came across this and really liked it. I have a strong background in lit, etc...will make this brief. In 2011 in summer I read Moby Dick, cover to cover. I was 40 years old at the time. One of the greatest novels I have ever read, period. Just out of this world. Melville must have had the soul of Shakespeare within him.
Nice vid. I respect anyone who goes top 10 GOAT in literature.
Back in college, I read Beowulf in Anglo Saxon. I couldn’t do that anymore. It’s true that if you don’t use it you lose it.
The Oxford English Dictionary: an amazing accomplishment with an hi-story as rich and interesting as any novel.
Roget's Thesaurus: not only for synonyms and antonyms, but for a classification of words and thought compiled by an author with an interesting life, who has been a character in several minor fictional works.
I am reading The Canterbury Tales and some of them are really wonderful
Brilliant video.
Many thanks!
So Tristan, what is that one unifying verse? Great video my friend!!
Hi Jason!!! Great to hear from you, buddy. So the verse I was referring to was Genesis 3:15. It is the thread that runs through the whole.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 interesting. Have you heard this? I feel kinda funny sharing this but here goes(not sure I think this means anything but someone pointed it out to me... interesting if nothing else. Psalms 117 is the shortest verse in Psalms, 119 is the longest. Verse 118 is in between. There are 594 chapters before 118 and 594 after. If you add the two together they equal 1188 (or verse 118.8). I've heard it said this is the theme of the Bible,
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."
Psalms 118:8
Kinda silly...but a great verse...lol
@Lowman 621 I've never heard that before. I love the kind of mind that sits down and works this kind of stuff out. 😀
Wonderful discussion! All great reads! My personal favorite is Dickens! I think the greatest author ever! Reread Middlemarch & Moby Dick quite often! Les Miserable my second favorite, but French! Thanku SO much! Great work!
As usual you did it. Utopia would be my suggestion. I also appreciate you comments about the Bible as literature. I should be read even in that way because it influenced so much of western civilization.
Meant to say "it: the Bible should be..."
Thanks, Jane. You are right. Whatever ones personal views about the Bible (and there are many and varied ones), one cannot argue against the monumental effect it has had on literature as a whole. The same can be said for other works too, which I might discuss in a later video.
Can you suggest a particular edition of Middlemarch? Publisher, etc?
Ahhhh, I didn't realize till the end you only went up to 19th C. NOW, I get it. Given that, I don't know that I can improve on this. Maybe Spenser over Utopia? (don't hold me to it) But really, this is pretty good. Yep, Milton did what he did 200 years before Whitman made it stylish. I agree with your rationale on Copperfield.
The first six are understandably included for literary quality and influence. The last four are debatable. Where are "Gulliver's Travels"(actually 4 books), "Tom Jones", "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"? In the 19th century there were "Far From the Madding Crowd", "Vanity Fair".
Those are just a few of the contenders.
So many great female English writers in the 19th century:
- Jane Austen
- Charlotte Brontë
- Emily Brontë
- Elizabeth Gaskell
- George Eliot
- Mary Shelley
paradise lost is so beautiful but its not an easy read, it almost forces you to study the text 😅 i read a few pages at a time, its a slow but very very satisfying read.
24:00 Which verse?
I attended a college where my father was head of the English Department. During dinner one evening, he asked me what was the current topic of my Norton Anthology of English Literature course. I responded Milton’s Paradise Lost. I told him that my teacher suggested that Satan was the real hero in the work. He became visibly upset and said that was a 19th century idea that had been totally discredited and absolutely no contemporary scholar of any reputation subscribed to it. I was unaware the he was a renowned Milton scholar - learned much more about him when I was in Grad school. In any event, using his notes made for some very heated discussions in class!
I recall in Annie Hall when Annie asked for a suggestion of what subject she she take in night school Woody Allen's charachter replies "just don't take anything where they make you read Beowulf."
If, as you say, you're looking at works for their place in a history of literature and their cultural influence, I'm not sure you can get away with excluding 'The Lord of the Rings' from the list.
Whether or not you like it as a work, and indeed whether or not you like the entire genre, whether you like the use of language in it or its quality as a work of art, I can't think of another work where any bookshop you walk into has a section, an entire literary genre, essentially spawned by that single work (not to mention a wider subcultural genre outside of the strictly literary sphere). The shelf label might say 'Fantasy', but it might as well say 'Tolkienesque'!
Tokien's own backwards-looking inspiration in the work from long-historical sources is a bonus in terms of threads of literary history, and even some of the common "sociological critiques" of it (relating things in it to his personal worldview or the fact that he was a person in a particular culture at a particular time) I'd think make it more valuable as a cultural artifact!
I would really love a video on how to read Canterbury tales to fully appreciate it. I’m definitely not apt in how to best read and interpret poems