Literary Classics: Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Tale of Two Cities, Lord of the Flies

Charlotte Bronte's marvelous 'Jane Eyre' was published in 1847 to rapturous acclaim and instant recognition that this compelling study of Victorian society and values was a masterpiece of English literature. This program tells the fascinating story of the author and her magnificent work a wonderful tale of repression, freedom of spirit, doomed love and great passion. Great Expectations features new footage from the Kentish villages and marshes that provide the backdrop for the classic story and delves into it's background, style, form and subtext to reveal a remarkable tale of love, social division, morality and heartbreak. Includes expert comment and critical analysis with atmospheric dramatized scenes from the novel. Dismissed by some critics as one of Dickens' slightest and least successful works, 'A Tale of Two Cities' has matured with age and now stands revealed as a forceful but entertaining treatise on history and destiny. William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies' was rejected by no fewer than twenty-one publishing houses before finding a home and a place on bookshelves in 1954. This is the story of the man behind the work and of the eerie tale of boys who arrive on a deserted island without adult supervision, who face temptations and who are ultimately undone by their own evil natures.