THE HISTORY OF WORLD LITERATURE

Professor Voth succeeds admirably at what might seem impossible: giving an effective history of world literature, from the EPIC OF GILGAMESH to Rushdie, in 24 lectures. His readings of individual texts, while necessarily brief, are cogent but remain accessible to the nonspecialist. His choice of works is sensible. He manages to give background for each and, more importantly, traces influences and trends among various literary periods, movements, schools, and modes of storytelling. His voice is clear, his manner affable, unpretentious, and pleasant. His frequent chuckles and occasional mispronunciations remind listeners that these lecture programs are similar to a "live" presentation, but a few out-and-out misstatements should have been corrected. Still, this course delivers on its title remarkably well, and is a real pleasure. W.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]