Free or Cheap Classics “Classes” on the Internet

Last updated on: July 19, 2012 at 11:48 am by Julie Davis

Free or Cheap Classics “Classes” on the Internet 2012-07-19T11:48:45-05:00 Julie Davis

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I must say that I have never been so interested in so many truly classic books as right now. My interest has been piqued by various bloggers and podcasters whose discussions are so interesting that I swim in the wake of their enthusiasm.

These are all underway but it is easy to track back and start at the beginning:

The Flannery O’Connor Summer Reading Club – blog
For a simple reader like me, some help is necessary to understand O’Connor’s short stories. The reading club has been looking at a different short story each week and I have been enjoying it immensely. Blogger and club host Jonathan Rogers has a book about O’Connor coming out soon and, based on this, it is definitely worth reading.

The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot – blog
I’ve always been so intimidated by this poem. Its reputation looms large for complexity. Plus, I’m not that into poetry. However, Melanie Bettinelli loves poetry, Eliot, and this poem. She’s going through it a few lines at a time which has been very good for helping me digest it. Oddly enough, often my personal feelings about the lines lead to completely different interpretations of Bettinelli’s but that is all to the good in this case. Because it means I’m engaged with the poem and her discussion is making me think about it more than I would just sitting down and reading it through.

The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer – podcast
I’ve also always been intimidated by Chaucer. (Yes, if it is an old classic then I’m intimidated … let’s not discuss Beowulf, please). However, I am now going to get it spoon-fed with some of the best help possible … from Heather Ordover at Craft Lit.

If you support the Craftlit podcast by subscribing for $5/month, then Heather gives all sorts of delightful goodies which are CraftLit Originals. One is that her husband, Andrew, is narrating his book Cool for Cats, and a wonderful narrator he is of this mystery which I much enjoyed. The other is that she is offering Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Having just gone through the introductory episode I can say that my anxiety is eased already. Heather is an experienced teacher who truly loves Chaucer and she’s recruited a fantastic reader. She is also offering an enhanced version which will have the text, images from that time and much more.

The Odyssey – podcast
Jesse and Scott at SFFaudio have been working their way through The Odyssey four chapters at a time. They’re close to the end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch up. I’ve been reading along in time to their discussions and it has been a good way to experience the entire thing.

Classic Fantasy and Horror Authors – blog
Kindle Review is a great place to find free and discounted Kindle books. There is a list every day, sorted by category. Recently, there has been an extra bonus for those of us who like fantasy and horror. Using the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series as a guide, there has been a series of posts briefly covering various authors and linking to some of their major works that are free for the Kindle. The Ballantine series, which began in 1969, showcased fantasy and horror writers who had long been long out-of-print or only published in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales.

I know, these aren’t the true classics such as the other listings, but they are classics in their own right and difficult to find sometimes.

Good Deals

Random Bookishness

Previous Post

July 16, 2012

Danny Gospel

Next Post

July 17, 2012 Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin Series

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Bible Study Bulletin Board Catholic Church Excerpt Faith-y Stuff Funny Stuff Good Deals Listening Now Patheos Book Club Personal Reading Challenge Podcast Alert Random Bookishness Resources Review Uncategorized Well Said What I'm Reading

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz