Ways into Advanced Literature: disruptors, transgressors and storytellers

What is the course about?

This literature course encourages you to develop your close reading and analytical skills through the study of three novels that are located in different cultures - Italy in the 1940s, mid-century America and contemporary England. We will read, analyse, discuss and debate these literary works that addressed the changing social issues of their time.

What will we cover?

Weeks 1 & 2 - 'Family Lexicon' by Natalia Ginzburg (1963)
An autobiographical novel written when Ginzburg lived in London in the 1960s, she summons up the routines and rituals of her Italian family - her parents and 5 siblings, growing up against the backdrop of Mussolini's Italy. 'Ginzburg gives us a new template for the female voice and an idea of what it might sound like.' -Rachel Cusk
'A glowing light of modern Italian literature…as direct and clean as if it were carved in stone, it yet speaks thoughts of the heart. -New York Times

Weeks 2 & 3: 'Housekeeping' by Marilynne Robinson (1980)
One of the Observer's hundred greatest novels of all time, Robinson received the PEN/Hemingway Award for best first novel. "For me, 'Housekeeping' remains her masterpiece, an unforgettable declaration of imaginative and narrative intent." Robert McCrum, The Guardian, 2015
This novel is "about people who have not managed to connect with a place, a purpose, a routine or another person. It's about the immensely resourceful sadness of a certain kind of American, someone who has fallen out of history and is trying to invent a life without assistance of any kind, without even recognising that there are precedents." -New York Times review

Weeks 5 & 6: 'Happiness' by Aminatta Forna (2018)
Forna is an Orange Prize shortlisted and Commonwealth Writers' Prize winning author. 'Happiness' is her fourth novel. "The real joy of the novel…is in its portrait of London and its inhabitants. Forna's voice is relentlessly compelling, her ability to summon atmosphere extraordinary, her sympathetic portrayal of traffic wardens, street performers, security guards, hotel doormen a thing of lasting beauty. …'Happiness' asks us to think about what we choose to see and ignore as we move through the city, about the power of small acts of decency." -Alex Preston, The Guardian, April 2018.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

-Recognise the social and cultural framework for each text
-Develop close reading skills to analyse different forms of the novel for meaning
-Develop understanding of narrative structure and character development in fiction
-Consider the value of a work in translation.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is a course for people who have previously done some literary or relevant study in humanities and are interested in further developing their literary skills of analysis. You will be interested in exploring and discussing the texts, with a willingness to join into discussion and consider the views of others.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

There will be short introductory lectures, small group and whole group discussion. Readings will be set for each week in preparation for that week's class, with contextual information and questions to guide your reading.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please buy or borrow copies of:

'Family Lexicon' (1963)by Natalia Ginzburg (trans. Jenny McPhee: Daunt Books: 2017)
'Housekeeping' (1980) by Marilynne Robinson (Faber Modern Classics: 2015)
'Happiness' (2018) by Aminatta Forna (Bloomsbury Publishing: 2019)
The tutor will provide all secondary materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Look for other Literature courses at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under History, Culture and Writing/Literature.