Libri Grandes et Scripti Grandes
Big Books and Big Papers registration will begin in early April if the course is offered.
Designed for juniors and seniors (or above), this class is intended to prepare a student to attack formidable books and lengthy papers with a measure of confidence. According to the plan, the students and tutor will read at least three Big Books. The tentative reading list includes War and Peace by Tolstoy, Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes, and The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni. (Please purchase the specific versions of the books approved the tutor. This allows for ease of reference during vigorous class discussions.) This list totals to about 2700 pages of reading for the year. Reading assignments each week should average between 75 and 100 pages. It is hoped that a paced reading schedule like this will be manageable on a weekly basis for both tutor and students.
Over the course of the year, students will also compose three Big Papers of 10 to 20 pages in length. Such writing exercise should provide great practice for writing big treatises in college or serve as a warm-up for a career as a novelist.
COST AND REGISTRATION
The cost for this tutorial is $270 per semester. Registration is reserved for families of Alexandria Tutorials until April 1st, at which time registration is open to all families. Please note: This class is primarily designed for those students who have completed the Writing the Essay and Advanced Essay tutorials. However, if you would like to have the tutor consider your registration, please inquire.
Each class is limited to 15 participants. A minimum of seven students is necessary for the tutor to offer the class. To register, you may use the e-mail address and include the following:
Re: "Registration for Big Books and Big Papers"
Name, Parents' Names, Address, Age, Year in School, phone number, Background in Writing.
Checks are made payable to Matthew Turnbull and a non-refundable deposit of $50 to reserve your seat is required with the registration; the remainder is due the first week of class. This deposit is part of first semester tuition. Second semester tuition is due the first week of that semester. Tuition is not refundable after the first month of the semester.
Please send payment to: Matthew Turnbull/ Alexandria Tutorials/ 248 Benton St./ Leavenworth, WA 98826
COURSE SCHEDULE
The class will meet from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. (Pacific Time) on Fridays.
This course will begin in early September. We will break for Thanksgiving Day, and we will break for Christmas after class in mid-December. Class will resume in early January, and end on the last week of May, with a break for a week in April. This schedule allows for approximately 34 class periods. Generally, the tutor is able to meet each week, although there are very occasional exceptions due to illness or family emergencies. Please let the tutor know by e-mail if you need to miss a class. If you would like a copy of the recording from a missed class, please request one.
Please purchase these texts prior to our discussion of them in class. The tutor will announce the order of the books as the year progresses. These versions have been chosen for economy as well as quality. It is recommended that the student purchase these particular versions of the texts in order to better facilitate ease of class discussion. Please click on the text title to go to the ordering page.
The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi