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