Victorian Bookends: Austen & Hardy with Osher Study Group Leader Dot Dudley

Dates: September 7 – 14, 2008

Description: Like bookends on an age, Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy reflect two widely different world views and showcase the culture that is most characteristically Victorian England. Third in a literary series sponsored by the Tufts Travel-Learn Program and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University, this journey takes us to the picturebook countryside of southwest England, where the scenes and characters of two great novelists will rise off the page and come to life. We begin in Winchester, with a tour of Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried; next we'll visit Steventon, where Miss Austen lived for 25 years. A stop at the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge en route to Salisbury (Thomas Hardy's "Melchester") offers a fascinating excursion; next up is charming Dorset, often referred to as "Thomas Hardy country." Here we will visit Hardy's birthplace and Stinsford Church, where his heart is buried. We round off our explorations in Bath, Miss Austen's home from 1801-1806 and the setting for much of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Throughout the journey, commentaries by the local tour director will be supplemented with informal lectures by the study group leader.

We are delighted to have Dorothy Dudley as the Osher LLI study group leader for this journey.  The popular host of our two previous literary journeys, A Brontë Country Journey and All the World's a Stage, Dot earned her Master of Arts degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University.  She has made many trips to the UK, including London, the Midlands, the Lake District, the Cotswolds, Cornwall, Devon, and Kent.  

Cost: From approximately $3,295 per person, plus taxes, including airfare
Book early to secure desired space and use early booking savings!

Contact: For more information, contact Usha Sellers, Program Director, in the Office of Alumni Relations at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 1-800-THE-ALUM (1-800-843-2586) or 617-627-5323.

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