A Centennial Series (In-person)
Fall (15 to 16.5 hours) | Registration opens 8/13/2026 12:00 AM EDT
In this discussion class we will look back 100 years to read four novels published in 1926 and 1927: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather, Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis, and To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. It would be hard to imagine a quartet of writers less compatible in temperament or style, but there they were at the same moment in history, trying to take the novel in a fresh direction. Whether you are familiar with these authors or new to their work, your insights will drive this class as we consider each novel as a work of art. My part as Study Leader is to help us imagine them in a literary conversation about society and culture and what it means to be alive at that particular moment in history. Over eight weeks, expect reading assignments to range from 85-155 pages, depending on the text.
This course will consist of discussions between the Study Leader and participants.
Required Books:
My Mortal Enemy - Willa Cather (ISBN-13: 978-0679731795)
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway (ISBN-13: 978-0143136774)
Elmer Gantry - Sinclair Lewis (ISBN-13: 9780451530752)
To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf (ISBN-13: 978-0393422597)
Jon Stableford
Jon holds degrees from Williams College and Wesleyan University and for 43 years taught secondary school English, the last 34 of them at Phillips Academy, Andover, MA. In 2010, he and his wife Cindy retired to South Strafford, VT and have ever since had a close relationship with Osher at Dartmouth. He writes occasional pieces for The Valley News.