这本《西方名著欣赏》由左金梅主编，分四部分：小说、散文、诗歌、戏剧。每部分首先概述了该文学体裁的定义、包含的类别以及其构成要素，接着从不同的类别和角度精选了西方文学史上经典作者的代表作品，并对所选作者和作品做了简要介绍，作品后有对该作品的评论和供学生讨论的思考题。小说部分包括希腊神话、伊索寓言、安徒生童话、霍桑短篇小说等；散文部分有柏拉图、培根、梭罗等著名作家的哲理议论文等；诗歌部分从叙事、抒情等方面列入了从荷马史诗、莎士比亚十四行诗、英国浪漫主义的自由体颂歌到艾略特的现代主义试验体。戏剧部分包括古希腊悲剧、莎士比亚悲剧、易卜生的现实主义戏剧、贝克特荒诞派戏剧等。

Part One Fiction

 1 Definition and Types of Fiction

 2 Elements of Fiction

 3 Greek Mythology

 (1) The Creation of Man by Prometheus

 (2) The Wanderings of Dionysus

 (3)Apollo and Hyacinthus

 (4)Heracles' Eleventh Labor: The Apples of the Hesperides

 4 Fables

 (1)The Tortoise and the Eagle

 (2)The Father and His Sons

 (3)The Miser

 (4)A Fable

 5 Fairy Tales

 (1)The Husband Who Was to Mind the House

 (2)The Naughty Boy

 (3)Puss in Boots

 (4)The Twelve Brothers

 (5)The Three Little Men in the Wood

 (6)The Queen Bee

 6 Short Stories

 (1)The Storm

 (2)A Dill Pickle

 (3)The Black Cat

 (4)Young Goodman Brown

Part Two the Essay

 1 Definition of the Essay

 2 Types of Essays

 3 Elements of Essays

 4 The Symposium

 5 Of Revenge

 6 The Battle of the Ants

 7 Living like Weasels

 8 A Modest Proposal

Part Three Poetry

 1 Definition of Poetry

 2 Types of Poetry

 3 Elements of Poetry

 4 The Iliad

 5 Metamorphoses

 6 When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

 7 On His Blindness

 8 A Hynm to God the Father

 9 Ode to a Nightingale

 10 A Poison Tree

 11 Ulysses

 12 Journey of the Magi

 13 Birches

 14 Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Part Four Drama

 1 Definition of Drama

 2 Types of Drama

 3 Elements of Drama

 4 Oedipus the King

 5 Othello

 6 A Doll's House

 7 Krapp's Last Tape