In this selection from The Great Courses series, Prof. Arnold Weinstein (Brown University, USA) explores great fiction of the 20th century by US writers. Volume 1 (of the four - volume set) consists of eight 30-minute lectures on audiotape (as listed at the end of this review). Also included is a 38 page booklet with outlines of each lecture, a glossary of literary terms, biographical sketches of the writers, and a bibliography of suggested readings. Works of Ernest Hemingway and Sherwood Anderson are prominently represented in this volume, and the novels of many other writers are touched upon: Melville, Hawthorne, Faulkner, Twain, Fitzgerald, Poe, and Vonnegut (among others). Writers of the latter group are considered in more detail in other volumes of this series.

One overarching aspect explored in Volume 1 is the issue of what are the characteristic features of US (i.e. "American") fiction of the past century. Weinstein makes a strong case for the emphasis on freedom and individualism, in contrast to the hierarchical arrangements of society so evident in 19th century European fiction. He traces such themes to 19th century works by Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Lest one think that he has overlooked the restriction of such freedoms to "white" males, he explores in subsequent volumes of the series the expansion of such freedoms across barriers of race, gender, and class, as the evolution of US society was mirrored in its fiction. Among the writers whose work that Weinstein explores in Volume 1 are some which receive relatively little attention in the academy today, and works that he believes deserve to be read, understood, explored, and taught. Sherwood Anderson's classic Winesburg, Ohio is a case in point, as well as Hemingway's works, which (in his view) are often avoided due to depiction of gender roles and values that are now greatly outmoded.

Listening to this lecture series was quite like sitting in a lecture in a university class (as intended by the publisher). Weinstein is clear, articulate, and passionate. His ideas range freely across the literary landscape, and he illustrates his points by reading excerpts from the works in question. Frequently he calls particular attention to a writer's choice of language, or he rereads a choice phrase so that his listeners fully grasp a point. His lectures are semi- conversational in tone, with inflection and eloquence. I found that listening was an easy way to understand their content. Further, I came away from the experience with a greater appreciation for works that I'd liked (Winesburg, Ohio) and an inclination to explore writers whom I'd avoided (Hawthorne, Hemingway).

Below are listed the 8 lectures in Volume 1:

1. American Fiction and the Individualist Creed
2. The American Self -- Ghost in Disguise
3. What Produces "Nobody"?
4. Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio
5. Winesburg -- A New American Prose - Poetry
6. Hemingway -- Journalist, Writer, Legend
7. Hemingway as Trauma Artist
8. Hemingway's Cunning Art ( )