Heroes and Legends
The Most Influential Characters of Literature
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Narrated by:
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Thomas A. Shippey
About this listen
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.
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Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
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Great Characterization
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Starship Troopers
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Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids. Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job.
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The definitive version!
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There's no place like home for the holidays ... especially for Lesley Carver. Life in the big city just wasn't her jam and now she's back in Hickory Falls, working at the family diner and helping her mom after she took a tumble. Lesley longs to build a life here, working at the cafe, selling her handmade ornaments and ... er, apparently reviving her high school crush on her best friend’s older brother. Only one problem, her mom wants her to leave Hickory Falls far behind.
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Loved the book!
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Holiday Hideaway
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- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
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Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
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I ain’t afraid of no ghosts
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 10-31-24
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Dead Med
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When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
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Hmm
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Brain Damage
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As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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What listeners say about Heroes and Legends
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Elisabeth
- 10-18-14
The best!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes! The lectures are extremely informative and doesn't puresuppose very much background information at all, and the lecturer is an absolute delight.
Who was your favorite character and why?
They were all extremely fascinating to hear about, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the lecturer himself =)
Any additional comments?
I wish there were another course with Shippey!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Marijo Taverne (The Giggling Gull)
- 02-15-17
Interesting, but.......
I like this idea and this kind of lecture, but this had some elements I didn't appreciate. Such as the lectures on the Wife Of Bath, Dracula, and even some bits of the Fairy-Tale Heroine lecture. Didn't like how much talked about sexuality and things related to that. In some cases it was already there, but in others he brought it up, it seems to me, unnecessarily.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Albert D.
- 07-17-18
Looking to get into storytelling? Start here!
This course gives you the starting area for storytelling. The lecturer, Thomas A. Shippey, does a great job of tackling each of the 24 characters in the course, first by going through a quick summary of the story they inhabit and the history and interesting facts surrounding them, regarding the social, political, and historic events taking place. With this in mind, he goes through a detailed explanation of how such stories, more specifically their characters, have influenced the generally accepted values of society and the importance of such literature in their own time and ours now. If nothing else, it is a huge tribute to the importance of literature in society and a big tip of the hat to all the authors who’s ideas and stories have shaped our societies across the world.
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- Ostler Family
- 01-16-17
Very well done. Professor Shippey is great!
I like the variety of heroes that were presented. Even characters I didn't think would be interesting were presented in a fascinating way. I hope the Professor Shippey does more Great Courses lectures.
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- Brazilgirl
- 09-19-15
Great Intro to Lit's Most Colorful Characters
What does Professor Thomas A. Shippey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
His enthusiasm for the subject is contagious. I would glady listen to any other lectures he has done.
Any additional comments?
Each of these lectures offers important insights into the world's great works of literature and why their heroes have lived on in our hearts and imaginations. How could I not love this series when it started out with a most unlikely hero, Frodo Baggins? Shippey explains why the world needed such a hero at that time in history.
Some of the lectures share additional, unknown information about famous characters (such as Robin Hood). Others walk the listener through the character's most famous story (Odysseus). I enjoyed the variety, Shippey's expertise and his dry wit. Although the final lectures include people that I would not have selected as heroes (Celie from The Color Purple and Winston Smith from 1984, for example), Shippey argues convincingly for their importance.
This was a refresher course on books I'd already read, and whetted my appetite for some of the others, except for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which sounds horrific. I have my doubts about that choice, but figure it was added to appeal to 21st century readers.
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- CR
- 12-28-15
5 stars for a subject I had no prior interest in
I was branching out on a new subject matter with this one and fund it quite enjoyable. Maybe not a solid 5 stars but worth the bump to get more people interested. The book is broken into chapter / lectures that build on each other. Starting with Frodo Baggins & ending with Harry Potter, the stories and analogies range widely, by including Odysseus, Robin Hood, Uncle Tom, Dracula, and James Bond.
Professor Shippey is obviously a professional is arranging his lectures. His speak is understandable and actually enjoyable. Sounds like Gandalf from Hobbit/Lord of the Rings.
Anyway, I recommend it to anyone interested in writing, literature, or who wants to broaden their horizons.
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- SAMA
- 07-31-14
I wanted to like it, but...
This course should have been called "The Most Influential Characters in Western History" because I don't see any of the influential characters in Middle Eastern, Asian or African civilisations. And there's plenty to choose from. All characters and stories discussed take place in America, Europe or a fantasy equivalent of them.
Such a lost opportunity to really explore the world.
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32 people found this helpful
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- Syd Young
- 01-03-16
Excellent- don't give up on it
Since I live in Texas and so am used to Spanish pronunciation, I almost quit this course over Professor Shippey's insistence on the mispronunciation of Don Quixote. In the end, I'm so glad I didn't. I think this is the most strikingly diverse lecture on a literary subject that I have ever completed. It was very worth the irritant and I even forgive you, Prof. Well done.
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- Stanley W Heaton III
- 07-16-16
A grand tour of the house of legends
Shippey takes us on a tour through myth, stories, and heroism, using reception studies methodology to explore one simple question: Why are certain heroes so successful? If you're interested in Bilbo and the Wife of Barth, Guinevere and Natty Bumppo, Huck Finn and Sherlock Holmes, then this lecture series will help you see them anew, and it may also bring out the hero in you.
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- Areader
- 10-12-14
An Interesting Survey
This is a survey course, I would have preferred a more in depth looks at almost any of these characters then one half hour chapter.
For what it is, it's very good and has some information that was useful, I still don't want to read Robinson Caruso and but I will try James Fennimore Cooper's Hawkeye stories.
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