Beowulf on the Beach

JACK MURNIGHAN has a Ph.D. in medieval and renaissance literature from Duke University. He is the author of The Naughty Bits and Classic Nasty and has written for Esquire, Glamour, and Nerve. He lives in New York City and teaches creative nonfiction at the University of the Arts.

Feel bad about not reading or not enjoying the so-called great books? Don t sweat it, it s not your fault. Did anyone tell you that Anna Karenina is a beach read, that Dickens is hilarious, that the Iliad s battle scenes rival Hollywood s for gore, or that Joyce is at his best when he s talking about booze, sex, or organ meats?

Writer and professor Jack Murnighan says it s time to give literature another look, but this time you ll enjoy yourself. With a little help, you ll see just how great the great books are: how they can make you laugh, moisten your eyes, turn you on, and leave you awestruck and deeply moved. Beowulf on the Beach is your field guide erudite, witty, and fun-loving for helping you read and relish fifty of the biggest (and most skipped) classics of all time. For each book, Murnighan reveals how to get the most out of your reading and provides a crib sheet that includes the Buzz, the Best Line, What s Sexy, and What to Skip.