Literature: Rediscovering Women Authors: Two comic novels by Stella Gibbons
Course details
Course code
Q00013753Course date
Number of classes
6 sessionsTimetable
Tutor
Kim ShahabudinFee range
How you'll learn
Venue
OnlineLevel of study
Entry Levels 1,2,3: If you have never studied this subject before and you’re not confident in your skills, Entry levels are a good starting point.
Level 1: Covers basic skills and knowledge needed for this subject
Level 2: Building on basic knowledge or experience. Similar to Grade 4/ C at GCSE or O level in England or Standards in Scotland.
Level 3: Learn about the topic in-depth and have a broad range of skills. Independent working Equivalent to an A level in England or Higher in Scotland.
Beginners: A perfect introduction if you have no experience and skills in this subject.
Improvers: The next step if you have basic skills or knowledge but want to progress them further.
Advanced: Build on the solid experience and skills you have in this subject, applying your skills and knowledge in a more complex way.
Course overview
Course description
In this course we will read and discuss two books by Stella Gibbons, an author whose reputation rests on one well-known satire of popular novels about rural life: Cold Comfort Farm (1932). In fact she wrote more than 30 novels, though most have been out of print until recently.
We will be focusing on two of Gibbons’ comic novels with contrasting settings: rural Sussex in Cold Comfort Farm and suburban Hampstead in Westwood (1946). Adapted for both radio and television, Cold Comfort Farm is a satirical response to fashionable doom-laden rural writers like Mary Webb. In contrast, Westwood takes post-war suburban London and its inhabitants as its setting for satire; Lynne Truss notes in the introduction that "If Cold Comfort Farm is Stella Gibbons's Pride and Prejudice, then Westwood is her Persuasion."
Through friendly and accessible discussions of both texts, we will learn more about their stories, characters and themes, and consider the nature of their author’s distinctive comic voice. While you will get the most from the course by reading the books in their entirety, short extracts for discussion will be downloadable from Canvas, where links to further reading will also be provided for those who wish to extend their learning.
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