Masterpieces of Medieval Literature

Professor Timothy B. Shutt brings his expertise to bear in this fourteen-lecture course in medieval literature. Shutt lights his subject from a variety of angles and provides abundant historical context for his commentary on works such as NJAL'S SAGA, BEOWULF, SIR GAWAIN, THE DREAM OF THE ROOD, and other classics from the Middle Ages. The presentation is compelling--Shutt knows his stuff--but the production has shortcomings, including fluctuating volume levels and the professor's distracting habit of occasionally adding a rasping back-of-the-throat growl to individual words. But interested listeners will likely overlook the quirks in favor of getting at the meat of these topics, which Shutt provides in abundance. M.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine