(Recorded Course) Sherlock Holmes vs. Father Brown II with Kevin O'Brien

 

Learn mystery literature with a theater and mystery-story expert! Read Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown stories, deep-dive into literary analysis, and have some good old-fashioned fun as you solve the mysteries!

How to get the most out of Sherlock Holmes vs. Father Brown II  with Kevin O’Brien:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Total class meetings: 8

Duration: 55 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None (Sherlock Holmes vs. Father Brown I is not required)

Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade

Suggested credit: ½ semester English or Literature

Instructors: Kevin O’Brien

Instructor email: kevin@classeswithkevin.com

Course description: The two greatest sleuths in the history of detective fiction are Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown.  Last summer, we read and discussed mystery stories featuring each detective, who both demonstrate, in their own ways, how Reason and Faith work together!  This summer we will do more of the same … with new stories - alternating between a Sherlock Holmes story and a Father Brown story every day!  We will learn not only what makes a great detective story, but also what makes a short story a great work of literature.

Course outline: 

 Introduction: what makes a good “detective story”?  Who was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?  Who was G.K. Chesterton?  What were they trying to accomplish with their mysteries?  Are mystery stories entertainment only, or do they delve deeper into the nature of reality?  How have these stories influenced mystery writers from then until now?

“A Scandal in Bohemia” - Sherlock Holmes

“The Secret Garden” - Father Brown

“A Case of Identity” - Sherlock Holmes

“The Flying Stars” - Father Brown

“The Boscombe Valley Mystery” - Sherlock Holmes

“The Invisible Man” - Father Brown

“The Five Orange Pips” - Sherlock Holmes

Course materials: Mr. O’Brien will provide PDFs of the stories, all of which are in the public domain; or parents may purchase collections of the stories, many of which are readily available.

Homework: Daily assignments will consist of reading that day’s story and taking a computer-graded quiz for immediate feedback. There will be a final essay assignment, graded by Mr. O’Brien. Homework should take no more than one to two hours per day outside of the live class.