This unit explores books judged to be the best. It focuses on the qualities of books that win literary prizes and the impact the prize system has on the production and reception of literature. We will read primarily British, American, and Australian novels that have won literary prizes, such as the Booker and Pulitzer prizes, the Miles Franklin Award, the Orange Prize for fiction, and works by authors who have won the Nobel Prize for literature. Topics of particular interest include the idea of literary quality, popular versus critical acclaim, and the future of a literary canon, or list of the finest or most important books. -- Course Website
Instructor: Professor Antonina Harbus
Prerequisites: ENGL120
