Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Opening Class

Thank-you all for a memorably engaging and productive opening class. Ahead of most (coughallcough) of you having opportunity to read the opening text, today required us to get (a.) a firm and workable grasp of what "Edwardianism" means -- not just the hard dates but the experience and the aesthetic -- and (b.) a similar background feeling for Chesterton the man and The Napoleon of Notting Hill the literary work.

Syllabus to follow later this week, now that I have your preferences, with schedule of readings. You should have GKC read by next week and -- recommended -- a start on the glory that is Marie Corelli.....

From "Comments" to the post on the original blog:

jane said...
With regard to human height, A. de Quatrefages’ The Human Species (2nd edn., 1879) contains a table with the following stats:
Netherland....1.789cm....5'10½"
England....1.687....5 6½
Belgium....1.686....5 6½
Germany....1.680....5 6
France (northern).1.665....5 5½
France (southern).1.630....5 4. (the French were teeny)

Graham Nickel said...
In case people haven't picked up the Chesterton book in time to read it for next class it's online, full-text at the Gutenberg Project.

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