Comments on: And in the fifth year . . . a miracle! http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/ "A man needn't go far to find a subject, if he's ready with his salt-box."--Uncle Pumblechook Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:27:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: jbj http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5867 jbj Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:44:44 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5867 I agree about <em>Middlemarch</em>; my sense is that students prefer <em>Adam Bede</em> (at least during the semester) because: 1) it's so much shorter, and B) Eliot's narrator is somewhat less multilayered in the earlier book. I agree about Middlemarch; my sense is that students prefer Adam Bede (at least during the semester) because: 1) it’s so much shorter, and B) Eliot’s narrator is somewhat less multilayered in the earlier book.

]]> By: Rohan Maitzen http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5865 Rohan Maitzen Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:58:56 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5865 Middlemarch is very funny too--funnier, perhaps, than Adam Bede, since Mrs Poyser has to offset kind of a lot of sad stuff. But only rarely do students find the humour, at least on a first read. I think you have to be luxuriating in these novels to laugh at them (not rushing through them, which is what happens to students--and us--during a typical term). Middlemarch is very funny too–funnier, perhaps, than Adam Bede, since Mrs Poyser has to offset kind of a lot of sad stuff. But only rarely do students find the humour, at least on a first read. I think you have to be luxuriating in these novels to laugh at them (not rushing through them, which is what happens to students–and us–during a typical term).

]]> By: jbj http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5834 jbj Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:24:48 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5834 Hi-larious. Mrs. Poyser? Funny. I've never had a class fail to love this book. Er, like it best. Um, hate it the least. But--they agree it is funny! And the key to Great Expectations is showing the South Park version. The plot is really quite close: They even preserve Miss Havisham's army of flying robot monkeys . . . . (Which, you'll remember, Bulwer Lytton asked Dickens to excise.) Hi-larious. Mrs. Poyser? Funny.

I’ve never had a class fail to love this book. Er, like it best. Um, hate it the least.

But–they agree it is funny!

And the key to Great Expectations is showing the South Park version. The plot is really quite close: They even preserve Miss Havisham’s army of flying robot monkeys . . . . (Which, you’ll remember, Bulwer Lytton asked Dickens to excise.)

]]> By: rachel http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5833 rachel Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:15:00 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5833 Is Adam Bede funny? I can't even remember. I've only finished my re-read of Great Expectations and discovered a curious thing: it is, in parts, unbearably boring. BUt the boring parts are not where Pip is ruminating about some issue, but rather where the plot is being advanced. Or so I think. Which makes it oppositely boring than most books. Is Adam Bede funny? I can’t even remember. I’ve only finished my re-read of Great Expectations and discovered a curious thing: it is, in parts, unbearably boring. BUt the boring parts are not where Pip is ruminating about some issue, but rather where the plot is being advanced. Or so I think. Which makes it oppositely boring than most books.

]]> By: jbj http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5832 jbj Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:11:58 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5832 Come on now: <strong>Nothing</strong> could really make one regret teaching <em>Adam Bede</em>! It's funny! In fact, a key regret of the 2007-08 academic year is that it'll be the first full year I've ever gone without teaching George Eliot. (But that's what happens when my 2 400-level classes aren't Victorian . . . ) Come on now: Nothing could really make one regret teaching Adam Bede! It’s funny!

In fact, a key regret of the 2007-08 academic year is that it’ll be the first full year I’ve ever gone without teaching George Eliot. (But that’s what happens when my 2 400-level classes aren’t Victorian . . . )

]]> By: rachel http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5831 rachel Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:03:37 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5831 One of the great things about IM is how funny and pun-y it is. Lots of "I see nothing"s and "I'm an invisible man" "Well,anyone can see that." etc. So much fun!! Sort of makes me lament having to teach Adam Bede this month. One of the great things about IM is how funny and pun-y it is. Lots of “I see nothing”s and
“I’m an invisible man”
“Well,anyone can see that.” etc.

So much fun!! Sort of makes me lament having to teach Adam Bede this month.

]]> By: jbj http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5830 jbj Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:15:42 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5830 No more interested than I . . . ! As with the cyberpunk class from a couple of years ago, the trick will be how to balance the fanboy aspect of the class with analysis, without killing the students' interest. @Wells: I've taught/read *other* Wells more recently (<em>The Island of Doctor Moreau</em>, <em>The Time Machine</em> . . . ). But I'm pretty excited about IM. I still have a volume of collected Wells "scientific romances" that my parents gave me when I was around 12-13. No more interested than I . . . !

As with the cyberpunk class from a couple of years ago, the trick will be how to balance the fanboy aspect of the class with analysis, without killing the students’ interest.

@Wells: I’ve taught/read *other* Wells more recently (The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Time Machine . . . ). But I’m pretty excited about IM.

I still have a volume of collected Wells “scientific romances” that my parents gave me when I was around 12-13.

]]> By: rachel http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5826 rachel Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:16:21 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2008/01/08/and-in-the-fifth-year-a-miracle/#comment-5826 I'm going to be really interested in hearing how this class plays out. And I think you'll find that the Wells, esp. IM, holds up extraordinarily well. I’m going to be really interested in hearing how this class plays out. And I think you’ll find that the Wells, esp. IM, holds up extraordinarily well.

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