Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Great Books Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 1994 - 1994
Episode 1
Alice in Wonderland
Sat, Jun 4, 1994
"Alice in Wonderland", by Lewis Carroll, is examined. Included: state-of-the-art computer animation, reenactments and puppets illustrate the story.
Episode 2
The War of The Worlds
Sat, Jun 11, 1994
This classic science fiction novel tells the story of a Martian invasion of Earth, as experienced by an unnamed protagonist and his brother. The Martians, who are technologically far superior to humans, cause widespread devastation with their heat-ray weapons and towering tripods. Despite humanity's best efforts to resist, they seem unstoppable. The novel is a commentary on British imperialism and explores themes of human survival and evolution.
Episode 3
Sun Tzu: Art of War
Sat, Jun 18, 1994
Sun Tzu's manual for war, "The Art of War," is still used in business, politics and the military.
Episode 4
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Sat, Sep 3, 199446 mins
Although Mark Twain began to write The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shortly after the failure of Reconstruction (the time period that immediately followed the Civil War), the book reproduced Twain's boyhood memories about the maltreatment of slaves by members of his small hometown as well as by members of his own family. Twain created Huck as the product of an alcoholic, abusive father as well as a child who grew up in a slave-holding, racist society. This installment examined the social and psychological background of Huck, a white boy, who aided a slave named Jim in his escape. Huck understood the implications of helping a slave escape and originally questioned his commitment. But he eventually recognized Jim as a person with feelings. A central part of the story occurred when Huck realized that he hurt Jim's feelings and that he, a white person, must decide whether or not to apologize to someone who society considered as beneath him. Huck's dilemma led each of the experts assembled for the discussion of the book to conclude that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a character with a sound heart and a deformed conscience that come into collision, rather than a book about racism.