Literature: Iconic Scenes from 19th Century Fiction

You don’t need to have read every classic novel to be aware of great scenes: Oliver Twist asking for more, Mr Darcy’s proposal, the creation of Frankenstein’s monster. These passages deserve a closer look, and that’s the aim of this course – to move in closer and explore exactly how each writer engages us as readers at these memorable moments, whether or not we know the whole work equally well. In an informal and friendly group we will look at the context of each scene – its writer’s life, the time it was written, its afterlife – but the idea is to treat a few paragraphs of prose with as much care and respect for its artistry as we often give to the study of a great poem. Iconic scenes are both fascinating and enduring so why not come and find out a little more.

This course is for anyone, whether you have considered classic novels before or it is all new to you.