Further information: John Barbour: The Novels of Marilynne Robinson
Expanded description:
The texts for the course, all by Marilynne Robinson, are these:
Gilead (New York: Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, 2004) ISBN: 031242440X;
Home (N.Y.: FSG, 2008) ISBN: 0312428545; and
Lila (N. Y.: FSG, 2014) ISBN: 1250074843.
New paperback editions of these texts are available at Content Bookstore for approximately $50. Used copies may be found online for a total of approximately $30 new or $15 used.
Each week, several days before class, discussion questions will be emailed to help students prepare. Our class sessions will focus on discussion of these questions, with the instructor lecturing occasionally for short periods.
Reading assignments:
January 8 Gilead, to p. 91
January 15 Gilead, to p. 187
January 22 Gilead, finish ( 247 pp.) and essay by MR (distributed via email)
January 29 Home, to. p. 127
February 5 Home, to p. 253
February 12 Home, finish (325pp.) , and Lila, to p. 68
February 19 Lila, to p. 166
February 26 Lila, finish (261 pp.)
Total pages: 833 plus essay(s). Averaging just over 100 pages of reading per week. Given the depth and complexity of Robinson’s writing, this is a demanding course. The more you commit yourself to the Gilead trilogy and our discussions, the more engrossing, profound, and satisfying will be your experience of the novels and the course.