How and Why We Read: Crash Course English Literature #1

Spread The Viralist



In which John Green kicks off the Crash Course Literature mini-series with a reasonable set of questions. Why do we read? What’s the point of reading critically. John will argue that reading is about effectively communicating with other people. Unlike direct communication though, the writer has to communicate with a stranger, through time and space, with only “dry dead words on a page.” So how’s that going to work? Find out with Crash Course Literature! Also, readers are empowered during the open letter, so that’s pretty cool.

Crash Course Literature 100 Reading List:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catcher in the Rye
Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Consider supporting local bookstores by purchasing your books through our Bookshop affiliate link https://bookshop.org/shop/complexly or at your local bookseller.

Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse

Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashCourse
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thecrashcourse/

CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids

source

Recommended For You

About the Author: CrashCourse

39 Comments

  1. I just finished Looking for Alaska, and it's so beautiful, thank you John
    Also I just realized JOHN GREEN THE AUTHOR is teaching me about history of literature, I don't know why I didn't realize it at first, but he did looked familiar

  2. Your logical fallacy is that there are writers who write for the benefit of themselves. They just exist, and we survive them with the helpful tips you've provided in this course.

  3. he seems like on cocaine but after watching his videos for years, it's just his genuine passion for learning and literature. It's like watching Tarantino talking about cinema. LOVE IT

  4. I started to study literature with this videos, it is my first time to study English literature. Thanks for making this videos.

  5. OMG I wish I'd seen this two weeks ago. A group assignment I was doing was arguing this very topic. Namely the issue of editor vs author vs reader. If an editor goes insane with editing an author's work, to the point where the authorial voice is totally lost, then is that Ok? Who is a work for? Does the reader's requirements override the author's requirements or the editors requirements?
    BTW I don't entirely agree with Green's letter. The author has a point to make if you miss it then you miss something from them, even if you then gain something else. Missing that point doesn't mean it wasn't there and that the author didn't intend it.

Comments are closed.