3-part course by Lisa VanDamme (4 hours)

In this course, Miss VanDamme discusses three timeless Russian short stories:

“The Cloak,” by Nikolai Gogol, the story of a homely, ambitionless copyist whose first real value is a cloak, which is then stolen from him.

“Father Sergius,” by Leo Tolstoy, the story of a priest tortured by selfish impulses, and driven to dark lengths to suppress them.

“First Love,” by Ivan Turgenev, the story of an infatuated young man who learns the impossibility of true love.

Why on earth would you take a course about such thoroughly depressing literature?

Miss VanDamme endeavors to prove that however depressing they may be, the clarity of purpose, depth of insight, and sophistication of values in these stories makes them a profound pleasure to read, and makes them - in their own way - inspirational.