Synopses & Reviews
Was Homer really blind, or was that just his shtick? Was Dante a righty or a lefty? Why aren't there any pictures of Jane Austen in a bikini? What made Oscar so Wilde? How much did Hemingway? These are just some of the many great questions of Western literature ignored in this book. andlt;BRandgt; From the author of andlt;Iandgt;A Prairie Home Companionandlt;/Iandgt;'s beloved "Five-Minute Classics" comes andlt;Iandgt;The Five-Minute Iliad and Other Instant Classics,andlt;/Iandgt; a witty and profane lampoon of the Western literary canon -- the andlt;Iandgt;Spinal Tapandlt;/Iandgt; of literature. andlt;BRandgt; "I will never write such wordy trash again," Leo Tolstoy said of andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; after reading Homer in the original Greek. Tolstoy's pledge inspired humorist Greg Nagan to whet his double-edged verbal sword and offer this gleefully twisted take on what contemporary readings of the Great Books say about our society today. andlt;BRandgt; From andlt;Iandgt;The Iliadandlt;/Iandgt; to andlt;Iandgt;On the Road,andlt;/Iandgt; these fifteen parodies provide a riotous romp through Western civilization (one version of it, anyway) from Homer to Kerouac, from Ancient Greece to Postwar America, from the Lyrical Epic to the Breathless Gush. Nagan's mirthful mayhem will delight those who've read the Great Books, and those who haven't read them will find these literary caricatures entertaining in their own right.
Review
Garrison Keillor Funny and well done....America wants comedy that is both gentle and weird, and these are qualities Mr. Nagan possesses.
Synopsis
Was Homer really blind, or was that just his shtick? Was Dante a righty or a lefty? Why aren't there any pictures of Jane Austen in a bikini? What made Oscar so Wilde? How much did Hemingway? These are just some of the many great questions of Western literature ignored in this book.
From the author of A Prairie Home Companion's beloved "Five-Minute Classics" comes The Five-Minute Iliad and Other Instant Classics, a witty and profane lampoon of the Western literary canon -- the Spinal Tap of literature.
"I will never write such wordy trash again," Leo Tolstoy said of War and Peace after reading Homer in the original Greek. Tolstoy's pledge inspired humorist Greg Nagan to whet his double-edged verbal sword and offer this gleefully twisted take on what contemporary readings of the Great Books say about our society today.
From The Iliad to On the Road, these fifteen parodies provide a riotous romp through Western civilization (one version of it, anyway) from Homer to Kerouac, from Ancient Greece to Postwar America, from the Lyrical Epic to the Breathless Gush. Nagan's mirthful mayhem will delight those who've read the Great Books, and those who haven't read them will find these literary caricatures entertaining in their own right.
About the Author
In addition to his work as a writer for Garrison Keillor's andlt;Iandgt;A Prairie Home Companion,andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Bandgt;Greg Naganandlt;/Bandgt; was the cofounder of both the critically acclaimed Chicago theater group igLoo and the award-winning Studio 108. The creator of the popular Web site JustMorons.com, he lives in New York but remains nostalgic for Central Time.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Author's Introduction: Why Read the Great Books?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Five-Minute History of Western Civandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Iliadandlt;/Iandgt; by Homerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Divine Comedy:andlt;/Iandgt; Part I, andlt;Iandgt;Infernoandlt;/Iandgt; by Dante Alighieriandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Paradise Lostandlt;/Iandgt; by John Miltonandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Sense and Sensibilityandlt;/Iandgt; by Jane Austenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;A Christmas Carolandlt;/Iandgt; by Charles Dickensandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Moby-Dickandlt;/Iandgt; by Herman Melvilleandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Crime and Punishmentandlt;/Iandgt; by Fyodor Dostoyevskyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Picture of Dorian Grayandlt;/Iandgt; by Oscar Wildeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Draculaandlt;/Iandgt; by Bram Stokerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Metamorphosisandlt;/Iandgt; by Franz Kafkaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Ulyssesandlt;/Iandgt; by James Joyceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;1984andlt;/Iandgt; by George Orwellandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Catcher in the Ryeandlt;/Iandgt; by J. D. Salingerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Old Man and the Seaandlt;/Iandgt; by Ernest Hemingwayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;On the Roadandlt;/Iandgt; by Jack Kerouacandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgmentsandlt;BRandgt;