Why Study Literature? And What Not to do When Studying Literature Misconceptions about Studying Literature One of the popular misconceptions about studying literature in school is the concept of ‘the right answer’.  You have probably had teachers who have tried to teach one reading of a literary text as though it were the gospel truth, whilst others who proclaim that ‘there are no wrong answers in studying literature’.  Both of these viewpoints are unhelpful .   The first method - that there is an ‘authorised version’ of reading any canonical text is unhelpful because literature is designed to be a ‘living’ text.  What is meant by this is that its interpretation varies depending on the person reading it and the values and morals and worldview that they bring with them.  Take, for example, Frankenstein.  A reader in the early 19th century may read the text as a warning against the rejection of religion over science, as they would likely have...

1 Selected November Birthdays: As this is my birthday month, and it is a big year for me (no, I’m revealing how big), I thought I would highlight some famous writers also born in November.  As it turns out, there are some pretty big hitters in the literary world this month… I’ve included a famous work or two for each in case you fancy trying them out. Kazuo Ishiguro (Nov 8th 1954) Nobel prize winning novelist, most famous for The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go . Remains of the Day - ‘Will I like it?’  If you are interested in British history (especially early 20th century); if you enjoy first person, diary style novels; if you enjoy romance, then the answer is ‘yes’. Margaret Mitchell (Nov 8th 1900) American novelist most famous for Gone with the Wind .  Polls have found it to be America’s favourite book after the Bible. Gone with the Wind - If you enjoy an epic bildungsroman (coming of age story) or a historical romance...

Literary Lodge A World of Literature at Your Fingertips Who is Literary Lodge for? Anyone who reads, or anyone who wants to!  Whether you’re a literary buff; a student; someone who likes reading but never knows what to read; or keen readers looking to expand their horizons - Literary Lodge is designed to be for you. Over the coming weeks and months, there will be feature articles, reviews, educational resources, book clubs, discussion forums, literary recommendations, as well as a range of products chosen specifically for book lovers of all ages.  So light the fire, climb into your favourite comfy chair and let Literary Lodge take you on a journey of discovery into the world of literature.