Your guide
to great books
A better introduction to literature
If you’ve used any online literature guides, you’ll know that they’re often quite surface-level. They’ll mostly give you a quick overview of the main characters and themes and explain the plot to you.
We wanted to do something different. For us, quality is more important than quantity. Our goal is to produce a select number of great literature guides that engage with each text meaningfully, which means talking about the big ideas, pursuing detailed close readings, and grappling with the text’s continued relevance for us today.
Featured Courses
Discover the beauty of biblical poetry
Poetry in the Bible
Our first course is on the Great Book, the Bible!
From Hebrew Parallelism to the songs of Revelation, the Bible contains a great deal of poetry. Without detracting from the truth of Scripture, this course provides a thorough and engaging introduction to the poetry of the Bible.
Perfect for homeschoolers, Bible study groups, self-paced learners, and anyone with an interest in the literary aspects of the Bible.
Explore The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the first of the 7 Narnia books. Our literary guide explains why this novel has remained a classic. We explore a diverse array of themes, ranging from psychology to Christian allegory.
Test yourself with reading-comprehension and vocabulary quizzes, as well as many other activities and short-answer questions. This course is particularly suited for 12-16 year-old students, but can be enjoyed by anyone who would like to learn more about C. S. Lewis’ wonderful fairy tale.
Discover the power of story-telling
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a modern fairy tale that explores the importance of story-telling, freedom of speech, and using your imagination.
Our detailed literary guide covers a variety of topics, including censorship, freedom and dictatorship, language and rhetoric, and various postmodern aspects of the novel.
Meet your instructor
Dr. Conrad van Dyk is an award-winning Professor of English. His PhD is in medieval literature, though he’s happy to teach just about anything.
His favourite novel is The Man Who Was Thursday, by G. K. Chesterton, and he loves reading stories aloud to his children.
He’s excited to guide you on your next literary journey.