The RUSC Literary Challenge!

Earlier this week, I wrote a short editorial about how to become a literary genius in just thirty days...

Okay, so maybe you won't be a literary 'genius', but this challenge is going to give you an amazing literary perspective of the most famous novels written in the past two hundred years.

I've always been an avid reader, and I'm always buying books. I have a LOT of books, and can't go into a book shop without coming out with at least two or three. And, this is how I came about the idea for the RUSC Literary Challenge!

I recently read a book called 'The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything ... Fast' written by Josh Kaufman. Based on known theories of accelerated learning - or rapid skill acquisition as he calls it, it works on the basis that in the first twenty hours, the peak of learning about that skill is reached. 

Obviously if you want to be a master of that skill - that would take a great deal longer, much like the 10,000 hour rule written about in 2008 by Malcolm Gladwell, about reaching expert-level-performance. But, for this challenge, it's all about the quality, not the quantity - and to quote Josh Kaufman "We're going to tackle the steep part of the learning curve and ascend it as quickly as possible."

So, we're going to shoot for the results we value with a fraction of the effort. You may never be a literary genius, but you'll reap the rewards you care about in far less time! I think it may even shine the light on some authors whose work you probably wouldn't have read before - as in Charles Dickens. 

So, to begin our RUSC Literary Challenge, we will begin with Great Expectations. 

Written in the 19th century by English author Charles Dickens, it was his thirteenth novel, widely considered to be one of his greatest works, and is certainly one of the most intriguing. 

A rags to riches story of a young orphaned boy named Pip, who is living with his sister and her husband, a blacksmith in the South of England. The story begins with Pip's first meeting with a terrifying escaped convict when he is visiting his mother and father's graves. 

In my opinion, I don't think there will ever be a book written again that has the ability to create such a vivid picture of the story's characters in your mind, better than that which is created in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

You may not have turned the pages of the book yourself, but after listening to these radio adaptations, you'll have experienced more than anyone who ever watched any of the many film adaptations - because instead of the image of characters, such as Miss Haversham, being presented to you, you're actually using your own imagination - and that's something which will stay with you for many years to come.

There have been several other dramatizations of Great Expectations which are available to download or listen to online. I have listed the links to these below:-

Lux Radio Theater

Favorite Story

NBC University Theater

Don't forget to rate this story, or any of those above, by clicking on the stars. I'd love to know what you thought too? It's easy to comment, just click on the link below each shows' description.

Happy listening my friends,

P.S. It may seem like spring is still a long way off, but here's a sure sign it's on its way - daylight savings time arrives this weekend. Don't forget to set your clocks one hour forward before heading to bed tonight!