Masterpieces of World Literature
- Free to audit
- Paid certificate
- Course certificate
- Beginner
- 12 weeks
Masterpieces of World Literature surveys how great writers have engaged with the wider world and how their works are transformed as they travel across cultures. The reading list runs from the Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer's Odyssey and The 1001 Nights through Goethe, Voltaire's Candide and The Lusiads to Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji, Lu Xun's Diary of a Madman, Eileen Chang, Borges's Ficciones, Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red, Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri. Themes include the history of world literature, how books change through cultural transmission, the significance of major technological advances in writing, and how to analyse literary works critically.
It is self-paced, twelve weeks long at 5 to 7 hours per week, and rated introductory. Harvard lists the course as free to audit on edX, with a verified certificate available for $299.
What you’ll learn
- Trace the history of world literature across cultures and periods
- Explain how works are transformed by cultural transmission
- Analyse literary works critically
- Assess the significance of technological changes in writing
Who it’s for
Readers who want a guided tour of world literature across four millennia; expect a substantial reading load.
Source: Harvard Online (opens in a new tab) · Verified · Report a change
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