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Event—Adult Education

A Serial Reading of Bleak House

Sep 29, 2020

This seminar presents Charles Dickens’s masterpiece Bleak House in manageable weekly serial installments--with no spoilers. Our discussions of each week’s installment will explore Dickens’s humor, social commentary, psychological depth, and dazzling assortment of narrative styles.

As a precaution to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Adult Education Seminars Program’s Fall 2020 term will continue to be held virtually. Virtual seminars meet via Zoom video conference and use email and Google Drive folders to share resources and communicate with instructors and participants. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars and these tools, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please feel free to reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

For more information about the Newberry’s response to COVID-19 please visit www.newberry.org/covid19.

Seminar Description

This seminar presents Charles Dickens’s masterpiece Bleak House in manageable weekly serial installments--with no spoilers. Our discussions of each week’s installment will explore Dickens’s humor, social commentary, psychological depth, and dazzling assortment of narrative styles. Though it may look like a novel, Bleak House is really a variety show with a plot, and serial reading invites us to fully experience the many layers of this fascinating work.

Eight sessions. Registration – $280

Steven J. Venturino, PhD, is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. He has led seminars at the Newberry and taught at Loyola University Chicago.

Materials List

Required:

  • Charles Dickens, Bleak House. Broadview, 2011. ISBN: 9781551119311.

First Reading:

  • For the first session, please read only Chapters 1-3. Do not read the book’s introduction or preface.

Registration Information

Online registration opens at 9 am (CDT) on Tuesday, September 1st.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, the Adult Education Seminars staff is working remotely and will be unable to process registration over the phone. For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar has reached capacity. Please email seminars@newberry.org to be added to the wait list.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.